Teaching Children How to Manage Emotional Reactions

by Shane Nichols, M.S., BCBA, Board Certified Behavior Analyst at Behavior Care Specialists Teaching Children How to

Manage

Emotional

Reactions

When children have frequent emotional outbursts, this can be stressful for parents as well as the child having the outbursts. By keeping your cool and following these tips, you and your child can both learn skills to help manage these situations and reduce their occurrence.

FOLLOW ME TO APPLE TREE!

4 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS

Apple Tree East

3309 E. 26th Street 605-339-9571

Apple Tree North

700 N. Sycamore 605-332-5581

READY . SET. LEARN !

Field trips and special speakers are also used to enhance the educational experience. Our teachers help each child become an individual who is aware of their abilities and who can focus on their own strengths. Stop in and check out our programs and teachers anytime! No appointment necessary.

Apple Tree Valhalla

4101 Valhalla Blvd. 605-361-7746

Apple Tree West

6400 W. 43rd Street 605-361-9875

Is your child struggling with emotional outbursts? If so, you’re not alone. Some children have a more difficult time than others learning how to express or communicate their emotions in appropriate ways. They may engage in behavioral outbursts that can be difficult or, at times, even unsafe for parents to manage. Use the following tips to teach your child how to appropriately manage their emotional reactions:

1. First and foremost, remember that emotional self-management can be taught and learned just like any other skill.

2. Be proactive; don’t wait for an outburst

to occur. Identify events that often trigger emotional reactions from your child to pre-teach and practice how to appropriately handle those situations. Learning how to manage emotional reactions is a lot like learning to play basketball.

You wouldn’t put a child in the middle of a live game with dozens of spectators and expect them to play well; it takes a lot of practice beforehand to be able to put those skills to use “in the moment.”

3. When your child does have an emotional outburst, your reaction has a big impact on

future occurrences of their behavior. Here are some things to remember in the moment: • Remain calm and neutral. Remember that your behavior serves as a model for your child. If you get frustrated and start yelling, this teaches your child that it’s okay to yell when they get frustrated. • Ignore the behavior, not the person. Often when a child is upset, they might try to make you upset as well or get a reaction to their negative behavior. Try not to give them this reaction. Instead, focus on helping them problem-solve and come up with appropriate ways to de-escalate. • Prompt and praise. This is a good opportunity to prompt the use of those skills you’ve practiced ahead of time. Provide praise for every small step your child takes toward appropriately managing their emotions.

4. Debrief with your child after the outburst

occurs. Debriefing should not be seen as punitive but rather as a learning opportunity. Try not to dwell on the negative choices your child made; instead, focus on what better choices they could make in the future and what positive outcomes those choices will lead to.

By putting these ideas into practice, you don’t have to constantly be on guard for an outburst and can relax knowing that you’ve put measures in place to nurture self-management. l