“Emotional regulation is essential to children’s day to day life because it affects their understanding of situations, how they respond, their behavior, and their enjoyment of life. Supporting children to understand and manage emotions also provides them with skills that they will use in adulthood.”
(source kids.com.au)
I really make an effort to apply the ideas of social and emotional learning to our everyday lives, in the hopes that the strategies and applications will become second nature for Everly to implement wherever and whenever needed. One thing I have created at my house is a “Mindfulness Bin” to assist Everly in regulating her emotions when she is wanting to reset what she is feeling. This mindfulness bin has been a very positive implementation at our house. Whenever Everly is feeling big emotions and is not at the point where she wants to converse about it, I roll this bin out for her to explore with on her own. Because there is individual choice involved and lots of options, she almost always finds something that she is interested in. She spends the next amount of time exploring these reset tools and comes back when she is ready. I truly believe in providing opportunities for children to advocate and manage their own emotions when they are able to. This is one strategy that can support that idea at home. In my varied experiences with children, trying to manage a behavior/emotion and immediately move on is not always the best option. It often only makes the adult and child more frustrated. This is one way that children can take a “minute” to calm before trying to work through what is actually going on in their mind and body. I hope this approach helps you in some way as well. Please read below for more information:
The picture to the left is our “Mindfulness Bin,” filled with resources, strategies, and activities that assist Everly in regulating her emotions when needed. This mindfulness bin is organized and easily accessible in our home.
When I first created it, I would take things out at random and introduce them to Everly, giving her some time to explore with me, without actually needing them to regulate her emotions. Once she was comfortable with the items in the drawers, I would wheel it out and assist her in choosing something that she felt would help in that moment. Now, she does this on her own! She is able to recognize when she would like to use it, and will search out the item that she wants in that given moment. She will even see things at the store and ask to get them to add to the bins!
Below are some of the items included in each of the drawers, along with some of my favorites and where they can be purchased!
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Drawer One: Meditative Musical Instruments and Massage Tools
Music and sounds are amazing, because they can be meditative, calming, soothing, peaceful and even healing. Playing your instrument in a soft and delicate manner will give you a more peaceful mood. (professionalcomposers.com)
Examples: Kalimba, Ocean Drum, Shakers, Wooden Frog Percussion Instrument, Wooden Chime, Face and Head Massagers
Featured Item: The Ocean Drum – Ocean drum are easy to carry, easy to use, at any time to cure your anxiety, ease the tension, entertain the boredom of the moment, so that you can have a happy day anytime, anywhere. https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Color-Musical-Instrument-Percussion
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Drawer Two: Mindfulness Activity Books
Activities such as this provide the ability to relax the fear center of your brain, the amygdala. It induces the same state as meditating by reducing the thoughts of a restless mind. (www.beaumont.com)
Examples: Coloring Books, Dot to Dot Activities, Mazes, Spot It Books, Peal and Stick Books.
Featured Item: Peel and Play Books – Set folds out into a play board for the thick reusable stickers. https://www.amazon.com/Kids-Puffy-Stickers-Set-Supermarket
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Drawer Three: Mindfulness Activities
Studies suggest that mindfulness practices may help people manage stress, cope better with serious illness and reduce anxiety and depression. (newsinhealth.nih.gov)
Examples: Mindfulness Activity Cards, Journals, Conversation Cards, Dot by Dot Sticker Cards
Featured Item: 50 Mindfulness Activities – This boxed card deck includes 50 creative mindfulness games, visualizations and exercises divided into 5 categories to help children feel grounded, find calm, improve focus, practice loving-kindness and relax. https://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Kids-Activities-Focus-Peace
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Drawer Four: Mindfulness Activities
Examples: Kanoodle, Fingerprint Animal Activities, Coogam Puzzle Maker, Make Your Own Puzzle,
Featured Item: Kanoodle – 2D & 3D BRAIN TEASER PUZZLE GAME: Kanoodle is a brain teaser puzzle game that includes 12 puzzle pieces, 200 puzzle challenges, a 48-page illustrated puzzle book, and a carrying case. Perfect brain teaser, travel game. https://www.amazon.com/Educational-Insights-Kanoodle-Twisting-Solitaire
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Drawer Five: Fidgets
Fidget toys give you a place to channel that energy. This serves as a distraction for the brain, potentially lowering anxiety and improving focus. (healthline.com)
Examples: Pop It Fidgets, Expandable Breathing Ball, Sequence Animals, Fidget Spinners, Marble Maze.
Featured Item: Expandable Breathing Ball – Hold in front of your belly, take deep breath in while expanding the ball, exhale slowly while contracting the sphere. https://www.amazon.com/Expandable-BreathingColorful-Inflatable-Ball-Magic
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Drawer Six: Calming Liquid Items and Fidgets
Great therapy and stress relief items for kids to easily pick up and use.
Examples: Liquid Motion Bubble, Breathing Expandable Bubble, Marble Maze Mat, Handheld Water Games.
Featured Item: Marble Maze Mat – work the marble through the maze, push it from one side to the other. The maze has a calming effect. https://www.amazon.com/Sensory-Anxiety-Calming-Classroom-
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Drawer Seven: Mindfulness Activities
Examples: Aaron’s Thinking Putty, Physical Activity Dice, Story Dice/Rocks/Magnets, Stamps, Visualization Tools.
Featured Item: Aaron’s Thinking Putty – Clear putty with six party animal themed pieces for you to find! Play again and again – just squish it back together to start a new game. Stretch it, bounce it, pop it, tear it, and sculpt it! Never dries out! https://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Aarons-Inside-Animals-Thinking
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Drawer Eight: Sensory Liquid Floor Tiles
These neat liquid floor squares make a calming sensory eye candy tool as the colors pool, stream, and bubble within the sturdy tiles. (therapy shoppe.com)
https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Floor-Tile-Six-Pack/dp/B07516B6KV
Young kids can feel with big emotions or think with logic and reason. But they can’t do both at the same time.
Connect first, then reason.
@loveandletgrow
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