You might not imagine that there are many scenarios involving kids and a “safe word,” as this is a concept often used in the context of kinky sex. But agreeing on a safe word with your partner for a totally different kind of situation can help both of you be better parents to your kids.

Here’s how it works, as described in a video posted to Instagram by Locke Haman, a father of four in New Hampshire who runs a personal coaching business.

“If you’re losing it on the kids and your partner says the safe word, you need to walk away and let them handle it,” Haman says in the video.

This strategy helps to de-escalate an explosive situation while allowing your partner to save face, he explains in the video. Instead of confronting or criticizing your partner directly — which would likely make them feel, and act, defensively — you’re simply signaling that you can see they need to take a break.

An added bonus? It’s a way to mess with your kids and bring a little humor to an otherwise tense situation.

“Imagine the confusion when I’m in the middle of losing my temper and mommy walks in and says ‘sassafras’ like she’s casting a magic spell, and I just stop and walk away,” Haman says in his video.

Haman told HuffPost that he doesn’t remember where he and his wife got the idea for the safe word but explained that learning how to handle these situations was a process of trial and error for them. “When one of us was losing our temper or getting agitated, we’d try to step in to help, but that brought its own issues. How do you tell someone you love that they’re losing their temper without pushing them farther over the edge?”

When they discovered the safe word, he said, it proved to be a way for “one imperfect person” to “respectfully hold another accountable in a moment of weakness.”

HuffPost consulted with a couple of parenting experts about why this safe word strategy works and how to use it.

It allows for you to make mistakes.

If you’ve agreed upon a safe word to use (the sillier the better, Haman says), then you’ve both admitted that at some point you’re probably going to need it.

This is a healthier and........

© HuffPost