What does the Sense of Self and their psychological boundaries have to do with emotional regulation? In this episode, we are exploring the connection between these two and the child’s ability to manage their emotions.

 

One of the challenges we want children to overcome is their struggle with emotions. And, let’s be honest, sometimes when they struggle, we struggle too. And so as they grow, we hope that they will be better able to regulate emotionally.

 

Yes, of course, age helps.
Kids do get more mature.

 

But did you know that boundaries are crucial for emotional maturity? Yes they are! Let’s explore the connection between the Sense of Self and the child’s psychological boundaries in today’s podcast episode, where I explain what they to do with the child’s emotional regulation skills. We must understand the following: 

 

1. There can be no mental health without a Sense of Self.

and

2. The child’s ability to form a sense of themselves depends on Boundaries.

 

It is the child’s Sense of Self that ultimately helps them regulate emotionally, because of things like self-awareness and self-control, which naturally go hand in hand with the Sense of Self. Self-awareness helps the child become more aware of what they are feeling and also become aware of the fact that these are their emotions. And because it is their emotions, it is the child who wants to feel better and is, therefore, compelled to find a way to self-regulate. With that in mind, the following should also make sense:

 

3. The ability to self-regulate comes from the child’s capacity for self-control.

and

4. This capacity increases as the child’s Sense of Self gets stronger.

 

The only way the Sense of Self can get stronger is — through boundaries. But there is even more to this! As the Sense of Self strengthens (when protected by boundaries), it in turn also helps reinforce those boundaries even more. This way, Boundaries and Sense of Self are not only interconnected, they reinforce each other.

  

If you enjoyed this conversation, it would mean the world to me if you’d  leave a rating and review on iTunes. That’s the best way to support this podcast and help other parents find it too.

And since we talk about boundaries quite a bit in this episode, I invite you to revisit boundaries-specific episodes. See links below.

 

 

Additional episodes relevant to this topic:

 

• How to Affirm and Validate Your Child, FREE Guide (TPP 020)
• Do Children Really Need Psychological Boundaries? (TPP 019)
• Everyday Opportunities To Teach Boundaries To Children (TPP 017)
• Teaching Boundaries To Children & The Importance Of Starting Early (TPP 016)

 

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