Using Movement to Help Kids Regulate Big Emotions: A Guide for Parents
As parents, watching our kids navigate the turbulent waters of big emotions can be challenging. Whether it’s frustration, anxiety, or sadness, these feelings can overwhelm our little ones and leave us feeling helpless. You might have noticed your child becoming increasingly upset, struggling to articulate their feelings, or acting out in ways that seem disproportionate to the situation. Movement can be an incredible tool to help kids regulate their emotions, and today, I’ll share five movement-based coping skills that you can use with your children to support them in managing these feelings effectively.
Why Movement Matters
When kids experience strong emotions, their bodies can become tense, and their minds can race. Movement helps to release pent-up energy and tension, promoting emotional regulation. It’s essential to practice these coping skills while everyone is calm, creating a supportive environment where children can learn and internalize these techniques. This way, when emotions run high, they’ll have strategies ready to go.
5 Movement-Based Coping Skills
1. Deep Breathing with Movement
Adaptations:
• Young Kids: Have your child stand up and pretend to be a tree. As they breathe in deeply, they raise their arms like branches reaching for the sky, and as they exhale, they lower their arms gently.
• Older Kids: Encourage them to take deep breaths while doing a simple physical activity, such as marching in place. They can count to four as they lift their knees high, then hold their breath for four counts before exhaling.
Parenting Script:
• Introducing: “Let’s practice breathing together. Imagine you’re a tall tree growing high into the sky. Can you show me your tree branches?”
• Practicing: “Now, let’s try marching while we breathe. Ready? 1, 2, 3, 4—breathe in! Hold it… and let it out!”
• In the Moment: “I see you’re feeling big emotions right now. Can we take a deep breath like a tree? Let’s do it together.”
2. Animal Movements: Free flashcards below!
Adaptations:
• Young Kids: Use playful animal movements, like crawling like a bear, hopping like a frog, or slithering like a snake. Make it a fun game to mimic different animals together.
• Older Kids: Challenge them to choose a few animal movements to create a short routine, combining movements like jumping like a kangaroo, running like a cheetah, and stretching like a cat.
Parenting Script:
• Introducing: “How about we move like animals? Which animal do you want to be?”
• Practicing: “Let’s make up a silly animal routine together. You go first, and I’ll follow!”
• In the Moment: “I can see you’re feeling upset. Let’s shake it out like a bear! Can you show me how?”
3. Silly Dance Party
Adaptations:
• Young Kids: Play their favorite song and encourage them to dance freely, imitating animals or doing silly movements. Incorporate pauses for deep breaths.
• Older Kids: Let them pick a song and create a mini dance party. Encourage them to explore different styles of dance or even a dance-off with family members.
Parenting Script:
• Introducing: “Let’s have a dance party! What song do you want to dance to?”
• Practicing: “Let’s create a dance that shows how we feel. Dance out your emotions!”
• In the Moment: “I can see you’re feeling frustrated. How about we have a quick dance party to shake it off?”
4. Mindful Movement with Yoga
Adaptations:
• Young Kids: Introduce simple poses like “tree pose,” “cat-cow,” or “downward dog.” Make it fun by naming the poses after animals or objects they know.
• Older Kids: Teach them a short sequence of poses, focusing on how each movement feels in their body. Encourage them to take a moment in “child’s pose” to breathe deeply.
Parenting Script:
• Introducing: “Have you ever tried yoga? Let’s pretend to be trees or animals while we stretch.”
• Practicing: “Let’s do a short yoga sequence. Can you show me your favorite pose?”
• In the Moment: “You seem really upset. Let’s take a moment for yoga. Can we do a few stretches together?”
5. Jumping Jacks or Jumping on the Spot
Adaptations:
• Young Kids: Make it a game, counting how many jumping jacks they can do while pretending they are jumping over puddles.
• Older Kids: Encourage them to see how many they can do in 30 seconds, turning it into a friendly competition or personal challenge.
Parenting Script:
• Introducing: “How many jumping jacks do you think you can do? Let’s find out!”
• Practicing: “Let’s set a timer for 30 seconds and jump together. Ready, set, go!”
• In the Moment: “It looks like you’re feeling a lot right now. Let’s do some jumping jacks to help release that energy!”
Practice While Calm
Remember, the key to effectively using these movement-based coping skills is to practice when everyone is calm and regulated. Take time each day to engage in these activities together, reinforcing the skills so that they become second nature for your child during emotional moments.
Conclusion
By incorporating movement into your family’s routine, you’re not only helping your children develop effective coping strategies but also creating cherished moments together. As you support your kids in navigating their big emotions, remember that you are building their resilience, self-awareness, and emotional regulation skills for the future. With love, patience, and a little movement, you can make a world of difference in their emotional well-being. So, who is ready for a dance party?
Download your Free Animal Movement Flashcards and start regulating big emotions through play today:
