Helping Children Manage Big Emotions

When a child loses control of their emotions, it’s easy to see it as bad behaviour. But as Lauren Edmunds explains, there’s a difference between a child acting out and a child who is simply overwhelmed. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) offers a useful way to understand emotional dysregulation and what children need when their feelings become too much to handle.

In this episode, Lauren explores the window of tolerance and how stress and sensory overload can affect a child’s ability to cope. She looks at the difference between a meltdown and behaviour aimed at getting a response, and shares practical ways to help children regulate their emotions, including breathing techniques, naming feelings and the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise.

Lauren also explains the role of co-regulation, showing how a parent’s calm presence can help a child feel safe and gradually learn to manage difficult emotions independently.