Calm rooms for schools: The gift of self-regulation.

Feb 16

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1 in 5 children aged 3 -17 struggle with mental health. Children and young adults are facing unprecedented challenges, and the consequences are sadly becoming increasingly apparent. The crisis has led to the American Academy of Pediatrics declaring a National Emergency in Child and Adolescent Health.

It's easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless when reading these statistics. But take comfort in knowing there are people on the ground working hard to make a difference in our children's lives.

The Cook Center for Human Connection, a non-profit based in Utah, has recently awarded $100,000 in grants to schools across the country to create calm rooms for students. Calm rooms provide a supportive therapeutic environment for children to focus on self-soothing and practice self-regulation.

The development of self-regulation skills is crucial for children and plays a vital role in maintaining social, emotional, and mental well-being. The generosity of these grants will help children manage stress on a daily basis and assist them in establishing skills that will benefit them for life.

As parents, it's natural to feel concerned about the mental health of our children and want to do everything we can to support them. So, let's explore the topic of self-regulation, why it's important, and how you can encourage the development of these skills in your kiddo.

Why is self-regulation important?

Self-regulation is the ability to manage emotions and behaviors so a person can adapt to meet the needs of a situation. A child's ability to manage their emotions and behavior is key to building and maintaining social relationships, learning, self-determination, independence, and achieving mental well-being.

Research in the field of self-regulation suggests five domains work together to achieve balance.

Biological-Maintaining and changing a level of arousal suitable for a task or situation.
Emotional-Monitoring, modifying, and evaluating emotions.
Cognitive-Managing sustained attention, problem-solving, and inhibiting impulses.
Social-Understanding social situations and functioning within them.
Prosocial-Developing empathy, values, and the ability to reflect on strengths and weaknesses.

The ultimate goal of self-regulation is for your child to feel in control. However, the skills used to achieve self-regulation may look different for every child. Therefore, it's essential to work out successful strategies for your unique kiddo and encourage them to practice these so they establish strong habits that will serve them well into the future.

What factors impact a child's ability to self-regulate

External factors can impact your kiddo's ability to utilize their self-regulation skills. Tiredness, illness, and changes to your little one's routine can all affect how successfully they manage to regulate their emotions and behavior.

Furthermore, the physical environment can also impact a child's self-regulation skills. For example, some children may struggle to regulate in noisy and crowded places. Additionally, older children can find self-regulation more challenging during stressful times such as academic assessments or relationship difficulties.

How calm rooms make a difference

Calm rooms are quiet spaces with low stimulation and usually feature a variety of sensory tools that help to reduce stress and encourage positive self-regulation techniques.

Research has shown that providing a dedicated calming space in schools can:

Improve students' self-esteem.
Lower students' stress levels.
Boost a student’s ability to focus and learn.
Foster stronger relationships between staff and students.
Decrease negative behaviors.
Encourage greater communication on mental health.
Reduce the stigma surrounding the need for support.

Strategies to help your kiddo's self-regulation skills

Our little ones are not born with the ability to self-regulate. Your child needs support and guidance from you to develop these crucial skills. The good news is that there are lots of simple, fun, and easy ways to support your kiddo’s self-regulation skills.

Talk and read about feelings

Communicate with your child frequently about feelings. Children who learn to identify and understand emotions in themselves and others display higher self-regulation abilities. Talk with your kiddo about how they are feeling on a daily basis, and also let them know how you are feeling throughout the day in an age-appropriate way.

Reading a book together also provides a fantastic opportunity to label and define feelings. For example, you can examine the feelings of a particular character and ask your little one questions like:

How do you think they are feeling?
Why do you think they felt that way?
How could you tell what they were feeling?

Play outside

Provide your little one with plenty of opportunities for outdoor play. Getting your kiddo out into the fresh air and allowing them to run freely fills their body with feel-good hormones and endorphins. Additionally, outdoor play provides your child with a wide variety of sensory stimulation that helps them to identify and build self-regulation skills.

Make a visual schedule

Picture schedules are an excellent way to improve your child’s self-regulation skills. A simple daily schedule allows your kiddo to understand what is happening and reduces anxiety in children who struggle with uncertainty. Schedules also encourage your child’s growing independence and assist in establishing routines and expectations.

Create your own calming corner

While you may not have the space to create a dedicated calm room, creating a small calming area for your child is highly beneficial. Many parents find setting up a play tent with a selection of sensory and self-soothing activities a great option. Communicate with your kiddo about how to use the calming corner and encourage them to use it when they are feeling stressed.

Why sleep is crucial for successful self-regulation

Your kiddo’s brain is developing rapidly, and sleep is crucial for the optimal formation of the nervous system and brain connectivity required for self-regulation. Research has shown that children who do not get adequate sleep have challenges with self-regulation that persist into adult life. Furthermore, a recent study showed that toddlers displayed decreased self-regulation skills after missing just one daytime nap.

Bottom line—quality sleep is vital for your kiddo's ongoing health and development.

The team at My Sweet Sleeper would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the Cook Center for Human Connection for the wonderful and vital work they do in supporting our youth. And as always, our pediatric sleep consultants are ready and here to help you at all times.

My Sweet Sleeper - The importance of fresh air for sleep.

My Sweet Sleeper - How lack of sleep affects your child's school performance.

My Sweet Sleeper - Why you might consider pediatric sleep consulting.

Health & Wellness