E3. Helping Children to Regulate their Emotions with Dr. Justin Coulson
Episode Description
In this episode, we’re talking about big emotions. How do we help our children regulate their emotions in this transition back to school? We discuss some very simple and tangible strategies that you can use today to help find connection with your child and to validate their feelings.
Key Points We Covered:
Emotional regulation is using our emotions in the right way, in the right time, at the right level and for the right reasons. Children don’t regulate their emotions in the same way as adults and it can be as old as 8-9 before children will demonstrate emotional regulation under typical non stressful situations, and this may shock some parents!
Use the acronym HALTS to help us identify why emotions may be running high:
HUNGRY
ANGRY
LONLINESS
TIRED
STRESSED
Empathy is the key to helping children when they are emotionally dysregulated – but this does not mean we don’t need to set boundaries
Justin gives us two helpful strategies to help bring children back from dysregulation:
Strategy 1: Giving them in fantasy what they can’t have in real life
Strategy 2: Connection over correction, soft eyes, try not to fix things and just focus on the emotions first
Don't forget to download your FREE Respectful Language printable to put on your fridge HERE.
Resources & Links We Spoke About:
https://www.justincoulson.com/– It’s all about relationships
Marc Brackett from the Yale Centre for Emotional Intelligence – Permission to Feel and his acronym RULER
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