{"id":80947,"date":"2026-08-07T02:52:50","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T06:52:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=80947"},"modified":"2026-08-07T02:52:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T06:52:50","slug":"what-is-emotional-regulation-a-child-psychologist-explains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-is-emotional-regulation-a-child-psychologist-explains\/","title":{"rendered":"What is emotional regulation? A child psychologist explains"},"content":{"rendered":"

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If you\u2019ve followed mental health topics on TikTok or Instagram lately, you have probably heard the term emotional regulation. But emotional regulation isn\u2019t just a trendy buzzword. It\u2019s a nuanced concept that\u00a0psychologists like me<\/a>\u00a0have been\u00a0studying for decades<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At its core, emotional regulation is how well someone can manage their emotions \u2013 whether positive ones like excitement and joy, or negative or more uncomfortable ones like jealousy and anger.<\/p>\n

I study emotional regulation \u2013 which scientists refer to as simply \u201cemotion regulation\u201d \u2013 within the context of relationships, including understanding how children learn to regulate their own emotions. The goal of healthy emotional regulation is not to erase difficult feelings, but to be able to manage those feeling more effectively so they do not become overwhelming.<\/p>\n

Emotional regulation versus temperament<\/strong><\/h4>\n

People often confuse emotional regulation with temperament, which is your natural, inborn style for how you approach or react to the world. Psychologists describe\u00a0three different types of temperament<\/a>\u00a0that a person can have: easy and flexible; active, outgoing and excitable; or cautious and quiet. Temperament is genetically and biologically driven \u2013 in other words, it is something you are born with.<\/p>\n

Emotional regulation, on the other hand, isn\u2019t something people either have or don\u2019t have. It is a\u00a0set of skills that develops over time<\/a>, beginning in childhood as children learn from and interact with the people around them. And like other skills,\u00a0emotional regulation can be strengthened<\/a>\u00a0with instruction and practice.<\/p>\n

There are two types of emotional regulation: self-regulation, or managing your own emotions, and co-regulation, which involves helping others manage their emotions. Both are important in\u00a0romantic relationships<\/a>,\u00a0at work<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0in parenting<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Co-regulation is especially important<\/a>\u00a0as a way to\u00a0help kids respond to intense feelings<\/a>.
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