

As kids start to see examples of good choices, it gets easier for them to pick which ones they would find helpful for themselves. If not, we try to think of some other options. Then we decide if it was a good choice or not. I’ll often read a book with a child and stop as we’re reading to ask how the character feels and what she did about it. You can help children identify good choices in books, movies, and even in real life by discussing what people do and identifying whether it was a good idea or not. How Should We Teach Emotion Regulation to Children?īefore kids can come up with a list of good choices when they’re unhappy, they need to know what some good choices are. The important thing is to make good choices when we feel that way (we can’t hit or run off), and do what we can to make ourselves feel better when we’re able.

Ensure your child knows that everyone feels them sometimes, and there is nothing wrong with feeling sad, mad, or scared. It is exremely important that when you’re teaching emotion regulation skills you clarify that negative emotions are okay. Just doesn’t feel very good to feel that way, so if we can do something to feel Okay to feel sad, it is okay to feel scared, and it is okay to feel mad. Specifically, you’ll find lots of ideas for how to help children manage their emotions appropriately!Ĭhildren think that negative emotions are bad, and that’s just not true. This post will provide you with some calming strategies for kids. They have to be able to manage their emotions until they feel okay again. That reality, though, means kids have to learn how to handle those negative feelings – they need tools for emotional regulation.

We can’t be happy every moment of every day, it’s just not realistic. You can use them to make a calm choices folder like the one pictured in the post.Įveryone feels negative emotions. The Calm Cards Folder contains a huge number of calming strategies.Ĭhildren may show problem behaviors for a variety of reasons, but often these behaviors suggest that the child is feeling anxious or angry.Īt the end of this post, you’ll find printable cards that are great calming strategies for kids.
