On this website you can find 7 different ways to aid in teaching your child self-regulation skills. This website provides science based research which can educate you and give you the confidence to educate your child as well. It provides strategies such as delayed gratification, teachable moments, and making choices while also providing in simple in depth definitions.
Children rely on self-regulation skills in school and in their everyday life. Children with executive functioning challenges, like ADHD or Autism, often struggle with self-regulation. Self-regulation is a skill that allows kids to manage their emotions, behaviors and body movement when they are faced with difficult situations. This requires children to be able to figure out what they need to calm themselves down when they get upset. These skills develop over time which is why we see toddlers having tantrums and typically not a 12 year old. Understood.Org compares self-regulation to a thermostat. A thermostat had a set point where it attempts to keep the desired temperature. It will turn on or off, depending on what is needed to reach the preferred temperature. Children also have a set point. This is when they are in control of their emotions. In order for them to maintain that level of control, they must keep track of changes in situations and environments and make adjustments needed to maintain that point. Children with sensory processing issues have trouble handling all of the information that they receive. This includes sight, smell, hearing, taste, touch and also vestibular senses. When the nervous system has trouble regulating itself, a child will have sensory overload and they are unable to self-regulate. Difficulties with executive functioning also results in a lack of impulse control.
Emotional regulation is not something that we are born with. Toddlers have no ability to self-regulate themselves. For them, their emotions are essentially like a roller coaster. It is the adult’s responsibility to teach children self-regulation skills. To self-regulate, one must be able to recognize and adapt their emotions. This regulation does not just mean decreasing negative emotions and increasing positive emotions. Emotional intelligence is one’s ability to perceive others emotions and discern them then use that information to facilitate their own thinking, problem-solving and regulating emotions. Emotional self-regulation is important to have a high quality of life because it affects almost every aspect of our lives. Emotional regulation is a strong predictor of academic performance. Emotional regulation allows the student to focus on performing during class time, evaluations, and exams.
Self-regulation is the ability to manage your emotions and behavior in accordance with the demands of the given situation. This includes regulating your emotions when presented with upsetting stimuli, being able to calm yourself down or adjust your personal expectation and handle frustration without having an outburst. Emotional dysregulation can occur when a child has a build up of emotions or it is just instantaneous. This frustration and distress, when not regulated, will cause a child to have a behavioral outburst out of their physical control. Emotional control is a learned behavior. Many babies have difficulties self-soothing when in temporary states of discomfort (i.e. bathing, putting on clothes or not being held). These same children are more likely to have difficulty with emotional-self regulation when they’re older. Children with ADHD or anxiety have a particularly more difficult time managing their emotions which results in a stronger need to be provided with skills to develop emotional regulation skills.