If you spend any time out in public, you are sure to encounter at least one small child having a huge melt down of emotion. Some parents feel confused by what is happening for their children in those moments. What is really going on?
Children experience the same emotions as adults do. Unfortunately, their brains do not yet have the capability to keep those emotions under control or “regulated”. Emotion regulation is a very complex function in the brain and requires being able to identify what we are feeling, what happened to make us feel that way, and what we can do to bring ourselves back to calm.
Out of all the important life skills parents teach their children, none may be more important than the skill of learning to manage emotions. This is a skill that supports “school readiness” beyond any skill in reading or writing. It is also a skill that research suggests can help reduce the onset of some mental health symptoms.
So you may be asking yourself, “How do adults teach this skill to a child?” Research has shown that when an upset child is in the presence of a calm adult who is trying to understand what the child is feeling, children will be able to use the adult’s sense of calm to help themselves get calm. Think back to a time when you were overwhelmed with a powerful emotion. If someone near you was meeting the same intensity of emotion as yourself, you may have found it difficult to get calm. Children have the same experience! Only when a child gets to a calm state can they take in information and “learn” from a situation.
In honor of the National Children’s Mental Health Awareness week find out more information on a variety of topics that support children’s mental health by attending the “Youth Mental Wellness Fair” happening on May 7th from 10-4 at Evergreen Middle School in Everett.
ChildStrive (formerly known as Little Red School House) has been partnering with Tulalip families for more than 30 years. For information about your child’s childhood development contact Courtney Miller at ChildStrive at (425) 353-5656 x7145 or Courtney.Miller@ChildStrive.org. More information about ChildStrive can be found on our website at www.ChildStrive.org
