Photo: iStockphoto
As parents, we?ve all been there. Tapping our foot repetitively during an important meeting to try and stay awake. Blasting the music in the car to keep from nodding off after a late night up with a sick child. Or, taking a warm bath to soothe frenzied nerves before going to bed. It?s called self-regulation?and most of us engage in these alerting or soothing activities several times a day. Turns out kids need to self-regulate, too. They just need a little extra help identifying when their engine is running too low?or too high?and some strategies for reaching an optimal level of arousal throughout the day.
Self-regulation at school

Kids need to reach just the right level of alertness to learn. That means being ready to focus and listen?and feeling calm and centred in the classroom. At e.p.i.c. School in Toronto, teachers have introduced the Alert Program, which teaches children to self-identify if their engines are in working order and then employ techniques to get them running ?just right.? For example, a racing heart, restlessness and fast breathing are all signs of an engine running ?too high.? On the other hand, difficulty focusing, trouble keeping eyes open or heads up are signals a child?s engine may be running ?too low.?
The engine analogy is one that is simple for e.p.i.c.?s preschool and kindergarten children to grasp, says principal Carolyne Cybulski. The challenge then, she says, is to come up with alerting or calming strategies to help bring k...