You can help your child develop self-regulation skills by
incorporating simple activities into their daily lives. The following are tips
that will promote your child’s self-regulation skills for school and life.
Include your child in
the decision-making process
Your child models your language, as well as the processes
you use to make thoughtful decisions. When you weigh in your child’s ideas, you
help them to develop the confidence and skills to think actively and
independently.
Provide regular
exploratory playtime
Playtime allows your child the ability to plan their own
activities, find and develop interests, explore materials, problem solve and
even use simple abstract thinking. Most importantly, these experiences support
the idea that self-guided play and learning is valuable.
Provide
tasks/responsibilities for your child to complete independently
Encourage your child’s independence by giving them age
appropriate tasks to complete. This will spark confidence and create initiative
within the child that will influence future behavior.
Engage your child in
exploratory conversations
Encourage your child’s language development by engaging them
in meaningful conversations. Allow for your child to explore and explain
thoughts and feelings.
Support emotional and
behavioral self-control
Model positive behavior management skills. Seek to
understand your child’s limits and provide support to help your child gain
control over his or her behavior. Encourage your child explore emotions and
provide safe ways to cope with negative emotions.
