Question
What is self-regulation, and what promotes it in the early years?
Answer
Self-regulation is:
- The ability to manage reactions and behaviors, and to have good relationships with others
- Believe it or not, this skill shows early, rapid growth in the toddler and pre-school years and can affect regulation later in life.
- Other aspects include focusing on a task, impulse control, and recovery after excitement or frustration.
Self-regulation is the ability to manage reactions, behaviors, and relationships from an early age through adulthood. It involves focusing, demonstrating impulse control, and recovering after a reprimand. How quickly can they put their feet on the brakes, take it off the gas, and then recover and be in a self-regulatory state?
Self-regulation develops through nurturing relationships and supportive environments. For example, in toddler and preschool years, intense feelings can lead to tantrums because emotion regulation is difficult at that age.
Before they arrive in our care as infants, babies may already exhibit self-soothing behaviors by seeking oral motor input through finger sucking, thumb sucking, or using a pacifier. They might also find comfort in cuddly toys that aid in their self-regulation.
As toddlers, they are often labeled as experiencing the "terrible twos," but it is crucial to recognize that these apparent outbursts are often manifestations of feeling overwhelmed. Managing such intense emotions can be challenging for them, and it necessitates modeling and teaching cause-and-effect relationships to facilitate their development of self-regulation skills.
As educators, our primary responsibility is to build connections with each child, tailoring our approach to meet their individual needs, as is customary throughout all grade levels.
Additionally, we must consider the child's background and experiences. Have they been exposed to nurturing relationships? Have they spent significant time in daycare, leading to interactions with multiple adults, potentially hindering their bonding experiences outside the family? These aspects are essential to remember when observing signs of dysregulation in the child.
This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the course Exploring Self Regulation With 3 To 5 Year Olds, by Tere Bowen-Irish, OTR/L.
