Conscious discipline
Several years ago I started working with a program that helped me learn to regulate as I helped children.
Conscious Discipline is an emotional intelligence program where children learn to express their emotions, resolve problems with words, and work with others. It was developed by Dr. Becky Bailey, an author and early childhood educator.
We learn different ways to calm down such as the balloon or the dragon or the drain. My favorite is the five finger breathing technique.
We have figured out that there’s a safe place in the room when we are upset we can go and be by ourselves or the teacher can join us .
There are tools there we can use. There is a weighted lap pad –
There are books we can read that help us understand our feelings
There are other tools like popits that help us with anxious feelings
This whole table is filled with tools to help us become conscious discipline ambassadors.
We will learn to use our words through our teacher modeling when something is frustrating for us such a saying “ let me know when you’re finished with that toy so I can have a turn” … Instead of taking it away.
The most important piece of conscious discipline I have learned is that children do not have power over my emotions. Just because they’re having a bad day doesn’t mean I have to join their chaos. I also have to embrace the fact that children don’t get up with the intentions of giving me a hard time… They are having a hard time and as an adult I have the tools to be able to help them.
Let’s learn together