Co-regulation is a parent/adult supporting a child through dysregulated behaviour caused by an overflow of emotion that the little person can’t contain. This is done in everyday moments such as supporting off to sleep or during a moment of hurt or frustration. What does it do? Effective co-regulation by a supportive parent/adult will build the foundations for the child when they grow through their years to feel secure enough to learn to self-regulate more often, persist with new skills and learn from mistakes. How do I do it? We have no doubt you have already successfully regulated your dysregulated little person on many occasions and during a mix of emotions. So lets bring conscious awareness to how you did this. Firstly, You were able or became present, by regulating yourself to contain the emotions that the situation was bringing up in you (regulating self-first, put you first!).
Secondly, You were able to feel like you understood (or you were semi-comfortable enough to attempt to understand) why your little one was feeling dysregulated and what emotions they were feeling (You try to see life from their view, love your work!).
Thirdly, you took the lead, being available to sooth your little person. During this you tried too;
be with them - physically available, arms out for them to cuddle in or at their level and you labelled their emotions, this helped de-stress their body by bringing meaning to what they felt.
comfort your little one in safely having that emotion heard.
role model and when necessary you put structure or boundaries into further supporting their world feeling contained again (sign posts).
followed them into the next regulated emotion (that’s right! Be With and then let little one lead again).
Sometimes it works the first time, sometimes their world was difficult a moment later and you did it again, you are incredible!! If you can keep being aware of how your doing this, your little ones will start to place, and feel comfortable with emotions. This is the beginnings of self regulation - knowing what they feel and how to comfortably sit with it, then move through it.
コメント