Hello friends!
If you’re new here, welcome! Today’s topic is emotional regulation, because at The Melbourne Preschool, we believe that learning to manage emotions is just as important as learning ABCs and 123s. That's why emotional regulation has been part of the foundation of our program since the day we opened our doors back in 2016.
If you've ever watched a preschooler have a complete meltdown because their banana broke in half (the horror!), you know that little humans can have some BIG feelings. And guess what? That's perfectly normal!
So What Is Emotional Regulation, Anyway?
Emotional regulation is the ability to recognize, understand, manage and express our feelings in healthy ways.
For preschoolers, this is a BIG job! Their brains are still developing, and sometimes the feelings of frustration, disappointment, or excitement can feel too big for little ones.
The goal is never to stop children from having big feelings. It's to help them learn what to do with those feelings.Research shows that children who develop strong emotional skills are better equipped to build friendships, solve problems, and succeed in school. So how do we approach big feelings?
Meet Tucker the Turtle! 🐢
One of our favorite classroom friends happens to have four legs, a shell, and some pretty impressive calming skills!
Tucker the Turtle is an emotional self-regulation teaching program supported locally by the Early Learning Coalition of Brevard County (ELC Brevard). Through stories, visuals, and playful activities, Tucker teaches young children a simple strategy for managing big emotions.
When feelings get overwhelming, Tucker reminds us to:
Recognize our feelings. "I'm feeling really frustrated!"
Stop our bodies. Pause before reacting.
Tuck into our shells. Take three slow, deep breaths.
Come out and think. Once calm, choose a helpful solution.
Simple? Yes. Powerful? Absolutely!
At The Melbourne Preschool, Tucker’s lessons of emotional regulation and healthy expression are woven into the foundation of our educational philosophy: for students, teachers and families alike.
Our teachers have been trained in emotional regulation and communication since we first opened, because we believe emotional development deserves intentional teaching, just like literacy and math. This is why we are big fans of the Tucker the Turtle program!
We practice these strategies throughout our daily routines, helping children name their feelings, navigate friendships, work through frustrations, and build confidence.
And here's something important: We don't expect preschoolers to get it right every time. Emotional regulation takes practice, patience, and plenty of support from caring adults.
One of the reasons we love this program is that it creates a wonderful opportunity for teachers and families to work together as a team.
When children hear the same calming language at school and at home, they have more opportunities to practice these important life skills.
You can even try Tucker's technique at home the next time emotions run high. After all, grown-ups can benefit from three deep turtle breaths, too!
At The Melbourne Preschool, we're not just preparing children for kindergarten. We're helping them build the emotional tools they'll carry throughout life.
Big feelings are welcome here. And with a little patience, teamwork, and help from Tucker, we're learning how to handle them together!💚
Toodleoo!
A little extra for families: Explore ELC Brevard's Tucker the Turtle storybook and parent resources.
Academic Sources:
Denham, S. A., et al. (2003). Preschool emotional competence: Pathway to social competence? Child Development, 74(1), 238–256. Read the research.
Blair, C., & Raver, C. C. (2015). School readiness and self-regulation: A developmental psychobiological approach. Annual Review of Psychology, 66, 711–731. Read the research.