Children and Emotional Regulation

Many parents have asked me in sessions for help with emotional regulation for their children. And for themselves at times. Emotional regulation is something we need to be taught and should start early in a child’s life. As parents, we need to help them regulate. 

We can do this by teaching them simple techniques to calm them down and we can also model this to them by our own behaviour. We can also do the techniques with them until they are able to do it on their own. 

Emotional regulation is learning how to calm emotions that can be debilitating like fear, anxiety, sadness, anger - any emotion that is a big emotion that will overwhelm a child. And, of course, an adult. 

If we are not taught to emotionally regulate as children, we will not know how to deal with these emotions as adults. We will lash out, have anxiety attacks be prone to depression and a whole lot of other negative outcomes. 

For adults and children alike, we need to understand first what it is we are feeling. Help children identify what they are feeling by teaching them about emotions. Firstly understand your own emotions and how to identify them. 

We know as adults that we should ask the Lord to help with our emotions and ask Him to reveal the root of any deep-seated issues that we have not resolved. But we need to help our children practically so they can cope better when they feel overwhelmed. And never forget to pray for them! 

Blessing in the mighty name of Yeshua!!