Self- regulation is foundational in fostering wellbeing across the lifespan and it begins with childhood. Have you ever witnessed an adult who “blows up” or becomes mute when adverse situations occur? Me too. Adults who exhibit these behaviors were once children who were never taught emotion regulation skills. So, one may be asking, “how do I teach my children self-regulation”? It begins with co-regulation.
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You’re in the grocery store, you see a child screaming, crying, and hiding behind a rack of clothes. We’ve all probably witnessed a version of this. We quietly say in our heads, “they sure know how to throw a tantrum.” I’ve worked with many parents who seek counseling for tantrums. As I began working with more and more children, I noticed a difference in the language. Some parents would describe their child’s behavior as tantrums while others expressed them as meltdowns. Curious, I did some research.
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Sensory processing occurs when our nervous system integrates information from our senses and organizes it in to appropriate behavioral responses, according to the situations we are in (Bennie, 2010). Sensory Processing Disorder or SPD occurs when, “sensory signals are either not detected or don’t get organized into appropriate responses” (“About SPD,” 2018).
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I once had a child tell me that taking someone else’s perspective is impossible. Children, especially those diagnosed with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders, tend to take things literally and struggle with perspective-taking. This is because of a child’s cognitive development. Jean Piaget, a renowned psychologist and child development theorist, developed the stage theory of cognitive development that is still used to understand children today. This theory includes 4 stages
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We all have those days where kids are running around, and it feels like everything we say goes in one ear and out the other. This usually leads to frustrated kids and even more frustrated parents. Children may insist they didn’t hear us, and parents insist, “I’ve told you ten times!” Communication with children can be hard. Here are a few tips to make it easier.
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This is also known as flexible thinking. Stephanie Madrigal and Michelle Garcia Winner, authors of Superflex: A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum, use the term Superflex Thinking. Superflex Thinking is defined as, “a flexible thinking pattern in which a person is able to consider different points of view or ways to do something”
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Whether we are parenting, teaching, or nannying, frustrations get the best of us. We find ourselves frustrated with crying children who do not comply with what we say. Out of frustrations come demands such as:
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As we come upon the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, we may experience a multitude of emotions. Some may feel a sense of relief that the hardship of the flood is over as they move back into their homes and continue with daily life tasks. However, others of us may still sense the emotional turmoil that Hurricane Harvey left us with.
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Last week’s recommended breathing exercise was all about calming unwanted nerves and feelings of anxiety; this week’s is designed to give you a little more pep in your step!
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Mindfulness, or the practice of being present in the moment, is not just for adults, it’s for kids too! Children experience stress, sadness, and frustration, as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression, just like adults do. Often times, children have difficulty identifying and expressing their emotions, as well as regulating the emotions that they experience.
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I don’t know about you guys, but I have made some indulgences as of late, and frequently noted “I can’t wait to get back on track after the new year!” I have stated more than once about wanting to get back on a work-out, eat right, have a consistent work schedule, and improve my self-care routine. Let’s face it, the holidays get all of us off track! It’s pretty common to want self-improvement in the new year, but not everyone is able to succeed in their goals.
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I was taking an online spin class this evening, and the instructor yelled “be the best version of you!” Being the counselor that I am, I immediately drifted off into “what the heck is the best version of me?” After sweating for another 20 minutes, cursing at the onscreen instructor for making me work more than I was wanting tonight, and then feeling the endorphins kick in, I realized what my best version was.
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