Self-Regulation

Self-regulation is the ability to monitor and control your attention, thoughts, and emotions. It is important when making decisions, processing information, managing big emotions, managing impulses, and attaining goals (Self-Regulation Theme Definition | Department of Psychology | Wake Forest University, 2025).   

Examples of Self-Regulation

Infants may suck on their fingers to self-soothe when they wake up in the middle of the night, and they can not find their pacifier.

Toddlers may want to snatch a favorite toy from a friend, but will find another toy to play with or wait for their turn with a visual timer. 

Children going through early childhood should be able to follow instructions given, as well as start to see how their actions may impact others, and do the right thing. 

(Raising Children Network, 2019)

Classroom Strategies

1. Teach age-appropriate self-soothing strategies that children can easily understand and replicate. Model strategies like counting to five and taking deep breaths that students can easily replicate when they need to calm down or take a moment to regroup. 

2. Offer student choice activities. This can be as simple as allowing for free time in the classroom or letting them pick how they show you the knowledge they got from a lesson. When children have more choices provided, they can have fewer reasons to get upset or overwhelmed. It shows that you respect how they learn and makes them active and engaged in the classroom, which can minimize emotional disturbances.

(Slater, 2025) 

Self-Regulation Starts With You!

Your students will always be watching you. It is important to lead by example. You can narrate your own feelings and talk about how you manage them. When children are upset, you should offer advice to help them work through it while being respectful and in a way the child can understand, given where they are developmentally. As a teacher, you are a champion for the child and must advocate for their needs and show ways that they can manage their emotions and impulses, not just tell them.