Rhythm and Regulation

Children learn so much from their environments and the people in them! They are constantly taking in information.

When we give children a safe space to experience and learn in stressful environments, they’re able to develop healthy ways to regulate their bodies.

They do this through rhythm! Walking, deep breaths, dancing, music, or exercise! 

They learn this from before they’re even born. They hear their mothers heartbeat. We rock babies when they’re crying. We sing them a lullaby to get them to sleep. We help them take deep breaths when they burst into tears. These are all healthy ways to regulate their bodies!

When children experience traumatic situations and environments without support and love, they develop stress responses to keep themselves regulated and safe. We typically refer to these as the fight or flight responses.

For children who have developed these responses, it’s so important that we support them in learning new ways to regulate themselves in stressful situations.