Big feelings are part of childhood, and kids borrow our calm. This blog collection gives parents and carers therapist-written guidance to make emotional regulation doable in everyday life. Explore simple co-regulation techniques, ways to name and normalise feelings, predictable routines that ease transitions, and gentle strategies for meltdowns and overwhelm (at home and at school). You’ll also find sensory-friendly ideas, and tips on building your child’s toolkit – breathing, movement, play and problem-solving – along with clear signposts for when extra support might help. Need to speak to an expert about emotional regulation? Online parent support is available.
Many children experience anxiety. It may be in relation to a particular area of their lives such as school work or friendships, or it may be a generalised feeling of unease or worry that surfaces regularly. We’ve outlined strategies to help cope with anxiety…. Read more.
Sibling rivalry is a common and frustrating concern amongst families. It can put a huge strain on parents and cause much anxiety, especially if one child’s behaviour is overly aggressive or cruel towards another child or children. We’ve outlined strategies to help cope with sibling rivalry…. Read more.
Engaging in child-led, one-to-one play on a regular basis is a key element of building attachment and supporting children’s development. This type of play is something that parents do naturally with pre verbal and very young children but do so less with older ages, however it continues to be hugely beneficial and a great tool for addressing a wide range of relational and behavioural concerns…. Read more.
Feeling angry is a completely normal and healthy response to countless situations. It might be a reaction to being verbally or physically hurt, a response to a decision that feels unfair or a natural reaction to distressing situations in the wider world. As we get older, we learn to manage our angry reactions so that they don’t negatively impact our own lives or the lives of others. But children are not yet equipped to regulate this intense emotion and they need our help…. Read more.
Small people have big feelings. It’s normal for children to be overwhelmed by emotions regularly and they rely on us to soothe and bring them back to a state of calm. Think of babies and how often they need holding and comforting, toddlers who can dissolve into tears over the wrong colour pants and adolescents who explode when we say the ‘wrong’ thing. Emotional regulation is something we develop as part of growing up, however for some these feelings can feel excessively big and not always easy to manage…. Read more.
