ABSTRACT
This chapter explores self-regulation and reframes the idea of ‘managing behaviour' into ‘supporting' children. It discusses executive function and how we can help children to develop their social skills. The chapter explains that it is meaningless to force children to say ‘sorry'; instead we need to role model being sorry, teach children to make friends and find alternatives to saying sorry that are more meaningful to the children. Self-regulation also includes children being able to inhibit their impulses or stop themselves doing something. Co-regulation is about working alongside children, interacting in the moment and coaching children through difficult times. Sometimes people refer to executive function skills when they think about self-regulation. Executive function is a term which relates to skills like decision making, time management and planning and executing plans.
