How to Support Children’s Emotions and Behaviours
To say that the pandemic has been an emotional rollercoaster is an understatement. While you're busy juggling working from home, online schooling your children and disinfecting your groceries, your mind may be filled with chatter and anxiousness that's on a constant loop. There are many unknowns in our day-to-day lives, and over time, the unpredictable changes start to affect not only you but your little ones as well.
Often supporting your children's emotions and behaviours can feel overwhelming let alone your own. Luckily, we’ve rounded up a collection of tangible tips from our most recent Community of Practice, that you can use to support your children’s emotions and behaviours as they grow into their own.
The Science of Calm
The human brain has three main parts that influence our emotional regulation. These three parts of our brain include:
Prefrontal Cortex: The ‘human thinking’ section of the brain where all big decisions happen. Think “What Am I?”
Limbic System: The part of the brain where the emotions live. Think “Am I loved?”
Reptilian Complex: The most primal and instinctual part of the brain where its main focus is on keeping us safe. Think “Am I safe?”
When all of these parts are working in harmony together we are calm, regulated and ready to learn. However, maintaining a regulated emotional state can often be challenging, especially for young children whose brains are still developing.
When a child is in a state of dysregulation they no longer have access to their human thinking and decision-making parts of their brain which can often lead to challenging behaviours. In order to regulate their thoughts, feelings and emotions we must ensure all parts of their brain are working in harmony. How do we do this? As educators, we work together from ‘back to front in times of dysregulation, starting first with ensuring that the child feels safe, supporting them with processing their emotions and lastly redirecting them.
This can often be shown by following the three C’s of Regulation:
Collect and Co-Regulate: Ensure that you are regulated and able to help the child. Be sure that you are at eye level with the little in your care.
Connect and Validate: Validate children's feelings and get curious to understand the root of the problem. This often sounds like “That sounds scary” vs “You’re ok.”
Correct and Redirect: When a child is feeling safe and understood then we can work to redirect the child into other activities or spaces.
At our centres, we practice the three C’s of Regulation through a child guidance approach. Child guidance is the practice when adults help children choose appropriate behaviours and recognize the feelings of others and themselves.
By incorporating a guidance approach in managing challenging behaviours in children, they then can control their own emotions and behaviours, build strong, safe and secure bonds with those around them and develop problem-solving, cooperation and empathy skills.
At our centres and beyond, we see children and capable, confident and curious beings. We believe in the power of supporting and raising conscious children that will grow into our future leaders and innovators. By incorporating these tangible steps into our daily practices supports the way we educate the children in our care. While these tips and tricks are valuable for us, we hope that they will also support your parenting practices at home.
If you have any questions regarding gentle parenting styles, please don’t hesitate to reach out at hello@weewildones-yyc.com. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook for ongoing updates on mindful parenting practices with your littles.