This free printable PDF explains what emotional regulation is in children and young people in a clear, simple, and supportive way. It helps adults understand how children notice, experience, and manage feelings, and why emotional regulation is essential for emotional wellbeing, behaviour, and mental health.
The resource explains that emotional regulation does not mean stopping emotions. It shows that children need support to learn what to do with big feelings such as anger, frustration, sadness, and overwhelm. It clearly describes emotional dysregulation in children, including meltdowns, shouting, aggression, freezing, shutting down, or running away, and explains that this behaviour is a sign of difficulty coping rather than misbehaviour.
The guide outlines why emotional regulation is important for children and young people. It supports calm down skills, coping with frustration and disappointment, feeling safe in the body, building healthy relationships, learning and concentration, and asking for help instead of acting out. It also explains that emotional regulation develops over time and that children borrow regulation from calm, safe adults.
This resource is especially helpful for children who struggle with emotional regulation, behaviour, or big feelings, including children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, trauma experiences, or sensory overwhelm. It is suitable for parents, carers, foster carers, teachers, social workers, and other professionals who support children’s emotional development and mental health.
