Learning to deal with everyday difficulties 😨😢 The ability to manage our feelings, thoughts and behaviours in effective ways – known as self-regulation – is gained gradually through childhood and into adolescence. It’s acknowledged as a pivotal element in young people’s development but can prove trickier for some children to master than others 😖
In our #WakeUpWednesday guide this week, you’ll find expert suggestions on ways of supporting children as they build their ability to self-regulate. Demonstrating how you process your own emotions – and selecting appropriate literature and other resources – figure in our collection of practical tips on helping young ones on their journey towards self-regulation.
As infants, we all rely completely on adults to help us resolve situations that are causing us to become upset or stressed. This is known as co-regulation. The next phase, once autonomy has begun to develop, is called self-regulation: this is when children start to become capable of exercising more control over their impulses and behaviour, and managing their own emotions.
This vital developmental milestone, however, isn’t reached spontaneously. Learning to self-regulate requires sensitive guidance from trusted adults – simply talking with children about their thoughts and feelings, for instance, can ease the route to self-regulation. This #WakeUpWednesday guide has some expert tips for supporting children to reach this goal.
