{"id":35339,"date":"2024-11-07T07:00:44","date_gmt":"2024-11-07T07:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=35339"},"modified":"2025-04-17T21:29:30","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T21:29:30","slug":"meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\/","title":{"rendered":"Meltdowns &amp; outbursts: How to help kids manage big emotions","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Shouting, wailing, whining, door slamming and foot stomping \u2014 whether you\u2019re a parent of a preschooler or preteen, you\u2019ve likely witnessed your child display one or more of these challenging behaviors.<\/p>\n<p>While outbursts and meltdowns may test your ability to keep your cool, they also mean your child is still learning how to manage, or self-regulate, their emotions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKnowing how to self-regulate our emotions is a skill that serves us across the lifespan,\u201d says Kianna Carter, LICSW, supervisor of the <a href=\"https:\/\/kidsmentalhealthpiercecounty.org\/yes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">youth engagement services (YES) program<\/a> at MultiCare Mary Bridge Children\u2019s. \u201cBut it\u2019s not something we\u2019re born knowing how to do \u2014 starting at a young age, it\u2019s a skill that needs to be nurtured and practiced.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Why self-regulation matters<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>First, what do we mean by self-regulation? When you self-regulate your emotions, you\u2019re able to experience them and then respond to them in a way that supports the safety and well-being of yourself and others \u2014 in other words, without an outburst.<\/p>\n<p>Our ability to effectively self-regulate our emotions affects nearly every aspect of life, from the quality of our relationships to our performance at work or school.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKids who are better able to regulate their emotions tend to have better impulse control and are better equipped to make and maintain healthy friendships,\u201d says Sally McDaniel, LMHC, LMFT, SUDP, CMHS, clinical manager of Child &amp; Family Services at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.glmhc.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Greater Lakes Mental Healthcare<\/a>, part of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/services\/mental-behavioral-health\/\">MultiCare Behavioral Health Network<\/a>. \u201cThey also tend to bounce back more quickly after experiencing difficult emotions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Developing these skills doesn\u2019t just yield short-term benefits. According to a practice brief published by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.acf.hhs.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/opre\/1_coreg_brief_508_reduced.pdf\">U.S. Department of Health and Human Services<\/a>, stronger emotional regulation skills are associated with lower rates of substance use and violence, higher income, as well as decreased long-term health costs throughout life.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How to help kids regulate their emotions<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s important for parents and trusted adults to take an active role in helping children learn how to regulate their emotions. Not only does it serve their long-term well-being, but it also serves yours \u2014 helping to cultivate a more peaceful household.<\/p>\n<p>Below, explore strategies for supporting kids in developing this important skill.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>It starts with you<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>When a child is melting down, you can\u2019t help them if your own emotions are dysregulated (out of control). Losing your temper or jumping to correct the behavior is likely to make the situation worse. Instead, pause, breathe deeply and collect yourself before responding.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTry not to take it personally \u2014 your child isn\u2019t behaving this way on purpose,\u201d McDaniel says. \u201cThe rational part of their brain that helps them control emotions isn\u2019t fully developed yet, so they may need adult help to calm down and recover.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grounding techniques are tools you can use in the moment to help you remain calm so you can effectively help your child. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nami.org\/in-the-news\/10-simple-grounding-techniques-to-calm-anxiety\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness<\/a>\u00a0for a list of simple grounding techniques to try.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Acknowledge and validate<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In the midst of a meltdown, don\u2019t try to reason with your child, McDaniel says. Instead, focus on being a calm presence. You could offer a hug or just let your child know that you are there and ready to talk when they calm down. Once they are more calm, acknowledge and validate how they\u2019re feeling.<\/p>\n<p>This may look differently depending on your child\u2019s age. Younger children may need help identifying the particular emotion they\u2019re feeling. With older children, you may need to focus more on listening and validating.<\/p>\n<p>Examples of validating statements:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>I can see how frustrated you are that you can\u2019t play video games.<\/li>\n<li>It must have really hurt your feelings when your friend said that.<\/li>\n<li>You\u2019re right, it\u2019s disappointing that we can\u2019t go to the park today.<\/li>\n<li>You seem angry \u2014 do I have that right? I\u2019d like to know more about why.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shouting, wailing, whining, door slamming and foot stomping \u2014 whether you\u2019re a parent of a preschooler or preteen, you\u2019ve likely witnessed your child display one or more of these challenging behaviors. While outbursts and meltdowns may test your ability to keep your cool, they also mean your child is still learning how to manage, or [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":367,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,127,67],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-behavioral-health","category-healthy-living","category-kids-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Meltdowns &amp; outbursts: How to help kids manage big emotions - MultiCare Vitals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Parents can help kids learn how to manage, or self-regulate, their emotions, to promote fewer meltdowns and a peaceful household.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Meltdowns &amp; outbursts: How to help kids manage big emotions - MultiCare Vitals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Parents can help kids learn how to manage, or self-regulate, their emotions, which can help make meltdowns less frequent and support a peaceful household.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"MultiCare Vitals\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/multicarehealthsystem\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-11-07T07:00:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-17T21:29:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/derwl0zbi\/image\/upload\/v1730325840\/mc-prd\/Father_consoling_daughter.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"934\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Meredith Bailey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Meltdowns &amp; outbursts: How to help kids manage big emotions - MultiCare Vitals\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Meredith Bailey\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3d80971e5d1c5404ee17bb4be80bd913\"},\"headline\":\"Meltdowns &amp; outbursts: How to help kids manage big emotions\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-11-07T07:00:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-17T21:29:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":662,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Behavioral Health\",\"Healthy Living\",\"Kids' Health\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\\\/\",\"name\":\"Meltdowns & outbursts: How to help kids manage big emotions - MultiCare Vitals\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2024-11-07T07:00:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-17T21:29:30+00:00\",\"description\":\"Parents can help kids learn how to manage, or self-regulate, their emotions, to promote fewer meltdowns and a peaceful household.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Meltdowns &amp; outbursts: How to help kids manage big emotions\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/\",\"name\":\"MultiCare Vitals\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"MultiCare\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/15\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/MultiCare-Color.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/15\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/MultiCare-Color.png\",\"width\":1500,\"height\":409,\"caption\":\"MultiCare\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/multicarehealthsystem\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/multicarehealth\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/multicare-health-system\\\/mycompany\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/multicarehealth\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3d80971e5d1c5404ee17bb4be80bd913\",\"name\":\"Meredith Bailey\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/updates-www.mccdn.io\\\/vitals\\\/author\\\/meredithbailey\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Meltdowns & outbursts: How to help kids manage big emotions - MultiCare Vitals","description":"Parents can help kids learn how to manage, or self-regulate, their emotions, to promote fewer meltdowns and a peaceful household.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Meltdowns & outbursts: How to help kids manage big emotions - MultiCare Vitals","og_description":"Parents can help kids learn how to manage, or self-regulate, their emotions, which can help make meltdowns less frequent and support a peaceful household.","og_url":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\/","og_site_name":"MultiCare Vitals","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/multicarehealthsystem","article_published_time":"2024-11-07T07:00:44+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-04-17T21:29:30+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1400,"height":934,"url":"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/derwl0zbi\/image\/upload\/v1730325840\/mc-prd\/Father_consoling_daughter.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Meredith Bailey","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Meltdowns &amp; outbursts: How to help kids manage big emotions - MultiCare Vitals","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\/"},"author":{"name":"Meredith Bailey","@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/#\/schema\/person\/3d80971e5d1c5404ee17bb4be80bd913"},"headline":"Meltdowns &amp; outbursts: How to help kids manage big emotions","datePublished":"2024-11-07T07:00:44+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-17T21:29:30+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\/"},"wordCount":662,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Behavioral Health","Healthy Living","Kids' Health"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\/","url":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\/","name":"Meltdowns & outbursts: How to help kids manage big emotions - MultiCare Vitals","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/#website"},"datePublished":"2024-11-07T07:00:44+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-17T21:29:30+00:00","description":"Parents can help kids learn how to manage, or self-regulate, their emotions, to promote fewer meltdowns and a peaceful household.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/meltdowns-outbursts-how-to-help-kids-manage-big-emotions\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Meltdowns &amp; outbursts: How to help kids manage big emotions"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/#website","url":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/","name":"MultiCare Vitals","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/#organization","name":"MultiCare","url":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/05\/MultiCare-Color.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/05\/MultiCare-Color.png","width":1500,"height":409,"caption":"MultiCare"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/multicarehealthsystem","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/multicarehealth\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/multicare-health-system\/mycompany\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/multicarehealth"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/#\/schema\/person\/3d80971e5d1c5404ee17bb4be80bd913","name":"Meredith Bailey","url":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/author\/meredithbailey\/"}]}},"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"link","format":"url"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/367"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35339"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36915,"href":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35339\/revisions\/36915"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}