Let the wild rumpus start! Or better yet, let the wild rumpus continue since everyone has probably already had a couple “wild thing” moments stuck inside at home.
Here are some wild thing themed pieces written by our teachers.
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
and how ‘taking a break’ helps your child practice emotional regulation
by Melissa
Now that we are home all the time, you may be seeing more big emotions from your children. Perhaps your child is testing the boundaries or expectations around specific family activities, events or times within your day. All of our social circles have dramatically decreased; parents, siblings, and even pets become our only playmates. This can add strain and increase emotions and challenging behaviors.
At BCS we work to help children learn strategies for emotional regulation; coping with their big feelings and dealing with expectations & disappointments. We strive to have this occur within the framework of the current activity in real time. We support everyone involved in communicating their feelings and needs. Sometimes, however this requires a change in scene.
One valuable tool we use is ‘Take a break.’ We help children make a new choice to give them space from the challenging activity. This tool gives children the time and permission to work through their emotions and actions without feeling reprimanded or shamed. Ideally they determine when to rejoin; helping them to recognize their emotions, regulation and readiness. You may observe that they are not ready and let them know you will invite them to try again when you see that they are ready. The opportunity to rejoin is crucial to them learning to navigate disappointment and their emotions around expectations.
‘Take a break’ can look very different for different children and at different times. It should not be used as punishment and your child doesn’t necessarily have to go to a specific place and do nothing. It can be as simple as engaging in something else that is desirable or calming for your child or walking away. It also doesn’t necessarily need to be a solo break, though that may be preferred by some children. You can join your child in the ‘break.’ This promotes co-regulation as your child learns how to gain emotional regulation from you. Many children aren’t developmentally capable of managing distress independently and need adult support in order to navigate big feelings like frustration, sadness, or worry safely and successfully.
Some examples of ways you can engage in and promote your child’s work toward emotional regulation:
Supporting your child in finding a preferred spot in the house to snuggle with a stuffy or blanket
Offering an opportunity to draw or color
Taking a fresh air break outside
Dancing out big feelings together.
Try some of the breaths from yesterday’s blog post.
MELISSA READS ‘WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE’
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak is an engaging story about a child asked to take a break, feeling his emotions (Wild Things) and getting ready to rejoin. This story is read aloud by Blue Preschool teacher, Melissa.
WILD THING ACTIVITIES
By Sarah S.
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