One the most challenging skills for children to learn is how to regulate their feelings. This is a complex skill that comes through a combination of the child’s development and experience. The journey to emotional self-regulation begins when infants’ emotions are labeled for them, and we assist them in calming through the use of soothing techniques. As children get older, they become ready for more explicit learning of techniques that they can use to calm and manage their emotions. All emotions are okay, it’s what we do with these feelings that may not be okay. For example, it is okay to feel mad, it is not okay to hurt our friends.
The National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations has recently released some beautifully created tools and cues to help children learn important calming techniques. Tucker Turtle Takes Time to Tuck and Think (available for download in English and Spanish) is a social story about a little turtle that used to hurt his friends when he got angry. Tucker then learns to stop, tuck, and breath when he feels angry. There is even a little finger play and song to learn this important self-regulating technique to the tune of Sally the Camel. Children can be further supported in using the technique by having visual cues posted for them to refer to when they are feeling upset.
These cue cards can be found at https://challengingbehavior.cbcs.usf.edu/docs/TurtleTechnique_steps.pdf.
So how do we put this all together in the classroom? Check out these YouTube videos for some ideas:
Tucker Song 1 Year Old Circle Time
Don’t forget that for breaths to be calming, the exhalation (usually through our mouths) needs to be long and slow. Happy tucking!
