Ensure your child navigates the beginning of the tricky winter term with these tips for emotion regulation.
The start of the winter term marks some big changes for primary-aged children; returning to school after a fun-filled break and daylight saving making evenings darker and bleaker. While this period might be challenging for families, helping your children through this time will enable them to build resilience which will carry them through to adulthood. According to the Child Mind Institute, emotional dysregulation can manifest differently for each child either resulting in instantaneous frustration or a gradual build up to an outburst.
Teach self-regulation strategies
Teaching children how to recognise anxious feelings and giving them the tools to manage them is the best thing you can do in terms of nurturing their emotional wellbeing. Instead of getting frustrated when they are having a meltdown, try to provide a distraction like physical touch that will take them out of the situation. Further diffuse the negative energy by introducing breathing exercises that have a calming effect on the nervous system. There are thousands of different techniques, but one of the easiest, is the belly breathe technique which encourages your child to take a deep breath in until their stomach fills with air. Hold that for a few seconds before letting the air out while imagining the negative emotions floating away with it.
Introduce more movement
After a busy half term, it can be difficult for children to transition back into a highly structured day with fewer opportunities for physical release. Introducing more movement into your child’s day is one of the best ways to self-regulate and reduce stress. We understand that school days are busy enough so this doesn’t have to be sustained activity, it can be as simple as kitchen dancing while cooking dinner or a short exercise Youtube video after school. A quick shake it off between homework exercises will not only reduce stress and anxiety but will also help children focus more on their next task.
Fresh air
Not only is fresh air the ultimate circuit breaker for a bad mood, being exposed to natural light is one of the best ways to reset your internal body clock after daylight saving hours have come into play. The practise of earthing or grounding – walking barefoot on grass – has been touted as having numerous health benefits including improved sleep, immunity, and mood. The good news is this practise takes just a few minutes and can be done in your own garden – simply step outside barefoot as a family for the time it takes the kettle to boil in the morning and soak up the serotonin. If this feels too much, eating breakfast in a bright room will have a similar effect in helping to reinforce the new wake up time.
Limit screen time
There’s nothing better that popping on a movie when the weather is rubbish but screen time can delay melatonin release and make it harder to fall asleep, especially when kids are adjusting to the time change. Getting the right amount of sleep (9 – 12 hours for children between the ages of 6 and 12) is essential for restoring daily functioning and reducing stress and anxiety so try to limit screen time for at least one hour before bedtime to help their bodies wind down.
Provide additional support
In the weeks after big changes like returning to school try to be more patient when it comes to out of character behaviour. Let your child know that you are there for them and provide some one-on-one time each day for them to open up to you about any worries that might have cropped up during the day. Don’t worry if you are time-poor, checking in only takes a few minutes and can be worked into your existing routine, for example, during a bedtime story.
