Self-regulation — the ability to manage your emotions — requires a set of skills that one must learn over time. And one of the best ways kids can learn to calm themselves down when they’re angry or upset is when a trusted adult shows them how. Co-regulation involves helping kids regulate their emotions by modeling empathy, calmness, and healthy ways to deal with your own difficult emotions.

This week at childmind.org, we have a new article about how co-regulation works and some of the science behind it. We also discuss other strategies for how you can help your child self-regulate. And we provide tips for keeping calm when you’re at the end of your rope, as well as what to do when you lose your temper. We also offer advice on how to handle your child’s angry outbursts, and how you can show them better ways to cope with big emotions.

– Molly Hagan, Staff Writer | ✉