Listen attentively to the child’s
feelings. Whether they are 6 months old,
or sixteen years old, having an attentive
listener as an audience helps them to
release their emotions and get on with
life. It is crucial that the child experiences
the adult as being fully present and
attentive. Within safe boundaries – give
opportunity for appropriate responses.
Teach practical strategies for emotional regulation.
Teach children to breathe (relaxation technique) through
difficult situations, to feel them (experience and visualise) and
to tolerate the situation (cognitively) without needing to act
(behaviour) on them. Once the child is not consumed by any
strong emotions, they have the capacity to problem-solve and
make a more constructive decision on how they choose to act.
Practical strategies might include carrying a sponge/bubble
wrap/stress ball which they can squeeze to express their feelings
of frustration. It can also alleviate tense feelings if the child has
a private space where they can take 10 deep “calming” breaths
when their frustrations are high. It will also be helpful if they
breathe in deeply through the nose and hold their breath for a
moment before letting it out very slowly.
10 •
• September/November 2015