What is emotional regulation?
Emotional regulation is a buzz word among parent experts right now. Essentially, emotionally regulating oneself pertains to an individual’s capacity to refrain from immediate reactions. These skills manifest during the interval between impulse and action, as individuals evaluate their natural inclinations against their desired responses. In other words, find your own coping skill such as taking a deep breath or walk away before reacting to your child’s big emotion. If a parent can be grounded themself then they can be calm for their child. When calmness prevails between parent and child during a tough moment, a teaching moment can result and less angst is present between both. A phrase I learned from Jai Institute of Parenting certification program is, “Anchor yourself so you can be a safe harbor for your child.”