🌟Teaching emotional skills, not just stopping behaviours.🌟

Dec '25 • Tips ⭐

Children don’t come into the world knowing how to handle frustration, anger, or disappointment — they learn it from us.

When a child hits, shouts, shuts down, or melts, it isn’t because they’re “naughty,” it’s usually because they’ve reached the limit of the skills they currently have. In that moment, they’re using the only tool available to them — and it might not be a healthy one yet.

Instead of focusing on stopping the behaviour straight away, think:

“What skill does my child need to do this differently next time?”

Naming feelings, practising calm-down strategies, modelling how we cope, and repairing after conflict all build a toolbox they can draw from in the future.

Skills don’t grow in silence — they grow in connection, repetition, and practice.

What we teach quietly in the everyday moments becomes what they use when things get big.

✨ 1. One-line parent reflection question:

“When my child is overwhelmed, do they see me react or regulate?”

(And no shame — we’re learning too.)

---

✨ 2. ND-specific adaptation:

Many ND children don’t automatically learn emotional skills through consequence — they need explicit modelling, scripts, and repetition.

Short, predictable phrases work best:

“Pause–breathe–try again”

“I need space, I’ll be back”

“It’s okay to be upset, it’s not okay to hurt.”