Student Wellbeing
What if regulation isn't only about emotions?
Emotional regulation requires more than feelings. To regulate, children need to notice what is happening, pause, think flexibly, remember strategies, consider consequences and make decisions about what to do next. This requires thinking skills.
A child may know a coping strategy but struggle to use it in the moment. This is not because they do not know the strategy, sometimes the thinking skills required to access that strategy become harder to use when emotions are running high.
It depends upon the brain's ability to access information under stress. These are the executive function skills of attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibition and initiation.
So instead of saying 'calm down', try :
- pause together
- offer 2 choices, this or that
- model good self-talk
- reduce demands
- practice strategies when your child is calm
Regulation is not just about managing emotions, it is also about managing the thinking skills that help us to respond to them.
Have a wonderful break,
Lisa
Deputy Principal, Mental Health & Wellbeing Leader
lisa.heath@smcmeppingnth.catholic.edu.au
Jess
Deputy Principal & Learning Diversity Leader