Tips to help stay regulated over the holiday season |
Nicole Captain, an occupational therapist at Five Counties, says it’s important for adults to regulate and look after themselves in order to make for a happier holiday season for them and their children.
“I use the metaphor of adults putting on their own oxygen masks first to meet their regulation needs,” Captain says. “From there, co-regulation is possible to help support and regulate your child. Adults must be regulated in order to support a child who is dysregulated or out of sorts due to the holidays.”
Captain works in Five Counties’ school-based rehabilitation services, providing occupational therapy support to students. Often her work in school involves discussions with students about regulation, something she believes families can also benefit from at home during the holiday season.
Put simply, regulation is a person’s ability to understand and manage their own behaviour, emotions and reactions. A good example is when someone becomes angry, they are able to calm or talk themselves down before flying into a fit of........