How to Use Feeling Buddies Self-Regulation Toolkit in the Elementary Age Bedroom

By elementary school, children are ready to learn the organized process Conscious Discipline teaches for self-regulation. The Five Steps of Self-Regulation are I Am, I Calm, I Feel, I Choose and I Solve. This process is discussed at length in the support materials included with the Home Edition: Feeling Buddies Self-Regulation Toolkit so parents can equip themselves with the skills they will be teaching to children. The Feeling Buddies program focuses on understanding the essential messages our emotions carry and building the constructive inner speech that is crucial to regulating difficult emotions.

Self-regulation is an essential life skill that is touted as the #1 predictor of life success. The I Am step involves the initial upset when the child becomes the emotion. “I am angry!” The I Am Upset Smock is helpful for demonstrating this stage of upset. The I Calm step requires active calming, featuring the four main breathing techniques, access to a Friends and Family book, and other calming activities. The I Feel step includes identifying the feeling with the Feeling Buddies or a Feeling Chart. The I Choose step requires the child to consciously choose additional calming activities like the Brain Smart Choice Cube, I Choose Board or other Safe Place tools. The I Solve step involves the child solving the original problem before rejoining the family, often through the use of the Time Machine so the child can practice redoing the upsetting event with helpful language/actions.