Supporting & Encouraging Emotional & Nervous System Regulation

Emotional And Nervous System Regulation

With Christmas fast approaching, having a few techniques in your back pocket to help assist your little loves with emotional and nervous system regulation is like GOLD!

So to help you stay on your A Game we are sharing with you an article from our VIP Group that the amazing Sarah, Positive Parenting Specialist from Secure Foundations that is worth every minute of the read. Check it out:

“Helping children to slow down in the moment and tap into their sensory systems is a really effective of supporting them to regulate their nervous systems. When we see children experiencing a meltdown, engaging in risk taking behaviour or struggling to do well, this is a sign that their nervous system is dysregulated.

In order for children to be able to regulate their emotions, they first need to regulate their sensory systems. Encouraging children to tap into their senses can reconnect them with their bodies and help them to calm.

My Body Mindfulness Time Busy Book

We used this activity to talk about feelings and coping strategies. When you’re at home with your little ones you can support your little ones to try and find three things for each of their sensory systems. Doing this with your little ones when they’ve been experiencing anger, frustration or other big feelings like disappointment can help bring the body back to calm. Only once they are calm again can you then have teachable conversations about how they may be able to do differently next time. Children are only able to learn when they are well regulated which is also why teaching through play ‘outside of the moment’ is the most effective.

For example:

❤️ Three things that they can see – the wall, their shoes and the couch
???? Three things they can sniff – the dog, their bear and mum
???? Three things they can taste – their teeth, water and something they ate.

This could also be a really helpful activity to do over the Christmas period particularly if your little ones are in a new environment, with different people or are experiencing different foods and are out of routine for example. Helping children connect back to their bodies helps them to self-regulate.”

A great strategy to start working on now before we get swept away in the Silly Season. Thank you Sarah for your contribution. If you would like to read more about what Sarah or any of our other Experts on our Panel of Experts have to say about our Busy Books, check out our VIP Group today – Busy Books Australia VIP Group.