What is self-regulation?
Self-regulation is the ability to understand and manage your behaviour and reactions to feelings and external circumstances.
Self-regulation is important for a child's development. It enables them to learn effectively in school, behave appropriately in social settings, form friendships, and become independent.
Here are some practical ways to help your child learn and practice self-regulation:
- Enhance emotional understanding and management: Help your child develop skills to recognise and control their emotions.
- Anticipate challenging situations: Prepare your child for scenarios where good behaviour may be difficult.
- Praise positive behaviour: Acknowledge and encourage your child when they demonstrate self-regulation in challenging situations.
- Model self-regulation: Exhibit self-regulation in your own behaviour to set an example for your child.
Factors such as tiredness, illness, routine changes, and traumatic events can impact your child's ability to self-regulate. While these issues are normal, consulting a professional is advisable if you have concerns about your child’s behaviour.
Why is self-regulation important?
As your child grows, self-regulation benefits them in several crucial ways:
- Learning at school: Self-regulation enables your child to focus, sit, and listen attentively in the classroom, enhancing their ability to learn.
- Behaving socially: By controlling impulses, self-regulation helps your child act in socially acceptable ways.
- Making friends: Self-regulation allows your child to take turns, share toys, engage in conversations, and express emotions appropriately, which are essential skills for forming friendships.
- Becoming independent: With self-regulation, your child can make sound decisions about their behaviour and navigate new situations with less reliance on your guidance.
- Social-emotional skills: Helping children to self-regulate can also help them cultivate social-emotional skills such as empathy, reciprocal social interaction, social problem solving and emotional recognition.
