Self-regulation isn’t just for kids, and can improve health outcomes, say Harvard academics and their Aussie counterparts.
The topic of “self-regulation”– managing strong emotions, coping with difficult situations, and learning to self-evaluate – and how parents can play a major role in helping children develop self-regulatory skills has been explored in the latest issue of peer-reviewed journal, the Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review.
One of the research papers looks at the evidence on helping kids to develop healthy eating and exercise habits through self-regulation, via parenting programs.
The publication is part of a University of Queensland (UQ)-Harvard University partnership focussed on the wellbeing of children and families.
Teaching children self-regulation is intertwined with supporting parents to strengthen their own self-regulation skills. This in turn can lead to better health and wellbeing outcomes for entire families, and even communities. Early childhood educators, teachers, and other caregivers can also learn these skills and help teach them to children.