How to Teach Your Kid to Regulate Their Emotions, Straight From a Therapist

Just as learning to regulate physical sensations is first managed by attuned and connected caregivers, learning to regulate emotions happens in a similar way.

Although a child's natural temperament does play a role in their ability to self-regulate, they are strongly influenced by external factors like their home environment, as well as regular interactions with their caregivers and other adults. It starts with coregulation: consistent, warm, and responsive interactions that provide the support, coaching, and modeling children need to "understand, express, and modulate their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors," according to a 2015 report on developing self-regulation. With repetition and maturity, this then evolves into self-regulation — the ability to do this independently.