Swings + Roundabouts Winter 2021

Every day before we start our day with our daily whakataukī, before our karakia at lunch and before our last mat we support tamariki to learn mindful breathing techniques to support their social-emotional and self- regulation. Katia ō karu – Close your eyes Hā ki roto – Inhale Kia mau – Hold Tahi, rua, toru, whā, rima Hā ki waho – Exhale Rima, whā, toru, rua, tahi X 3 Huakina ō karu – Open your eyes. SUPPORTING CHILDREN TO UNDERSTAND, EXPRESS, AND REGULATE THEIR EMOTIONS BY TRUDI SUTCLIFFE He Māpuna te Tamaiti Supporting Social and Emotional Competence in Early Learning (Ministry of Education, 2019) describes emotional competence as being a foundation in supporting children’s success in learning and relationships and which is vital for their wellbeing. “Emotional competence includes understanding what we are feeling and why we are feeling it, as well as appreciating how others may be feeling and the impact of our actions on them. It also includes responding to our feelings and expressing them appropriately – and, when the feelings are strong or difficult to manage, in ways that help us calm down and feel better” (Ministry of Education, 2019). In this short article we will focus on supporting children to understand, express, and regulate their emotions. A vital part of emotional competence is learning to control one’s feelings, thoughts and behaviours - self-regulation (Ministry of Education, 2019). Managed emotions support children (all of us actually) to persist at tasks, control our impulses, solve problems and delay gratification (Ministry of Education, 2019). Below are some suggestions when children’s emotions are heightened: ● Acknowledge children’s emotions – support children to label their feelings so they can build their capability to understand and begin to manage their June 2021 { 36 }