Emotional Regulation: Myths vs. Facts: A Neurodiverse-Affirming Guide for Parents, Educators, and Therapists
- Ready Rocket Resources
- May 22
- 3 min read
Supporting children through big emotions can feel challenging, whether you’re a parent, teacher, or therapist. Emotional regulation isn’t about forcing kids to always be calm or “behave.” It’s a lifelong skill that everyone continues to develop well into adulthood.
There are many myths that can make us feel stuck or unsure about how to best support children’s emotional growth. Let’s gently explore some common misunderstandings and replace them with kinder, clearer facts. Understanding these can help all of us (parents, educators, and therapists) create spaces where children feel truly seen and supported.
Myth 1: Children should always be calm
Fact: Feeling a wide range of emotions is normal and healthy. The parts of the brain that help control emotions are still growing and changing well into young adulthood. When children express feelings like frustration, sadness, or excitement, their brains are learning important skills for handling emotions.
Myth 2: Ignoring tantrums teaches discipline
Fact: When you notice and respond to a child’s feelings, you help calm their stress system in the brain. This makes them feel safe and supported. Over time, this helps the child learn how to manage their feelings better on their own.
Myth 3: Distraction is the best way to help
Sometimes distraction can help for a moment (depending on the age of the child as well as their capacity to process emotions), but it’s important for children to be moving towards learning to express their feelings safely. This helps their brain understand and calm down instead of just pushing emotions aside as they grow.
Myth 4: Kids should be able to control their emotions by age 5
Fact: The brain areas that help with self-control develop slowly and keep growing through childhood and adolescence. Expecting children to manage all their feelings perfectly at a young age is unrealistic. Kids need support from caring adults while their brains grow.
Myth 5: All emotional outbursts are bad behaviour
Fact: Emotional outbursts often happen when a child’s brain feels overwhelmed or scared. These reactions are signals that they need help calming down - not punishment. Understanding this helps adults respond with kindness and patience.
How You Can Help Support Emotional Regulation
The Galaxy Guide to Running My Rocket stands out among other emotional regulation tools with its unique rocket journey concept, emphasis on internal needs, and focus on promoting co-regulation towards self-regulation in a neurodiverse-affirming way. By utilising this resource, children gain a deeper understanding of their emotions and develop the skills needed to navigate them successfully, leading to enhanced emotional well-being.
Want to Learn More About Ready Rocket Strategies in Action?
💻 Ready Rocket has a range of supports for parents, professionals, and educators who want to confidently guide children through big emotions in a way that’s supportive, science-informed, and truly neuroaffirming.
Choose the Path That’s Right for You:
👨👩👧👦 Online Emotions Workshop – Parents & Carers
🕒 4-hour self-paced training
Gain the tools and knowledge to support your child through emotional dysregulation with confidence and compassion.
🧠 Online Emotions Workshop – Therapists & Allied Health Professionals
🕒 4.5-hour self-paced training
Learn a developmentally-informed, neuroaffirming approach to regulation support for diverse clients and therapy goals.
🏫 Ready Rocket School Learning Program – Educators
A classroom-ready, whole-school emotional regulation program built on the same powerful framework with extension into these concepts and more! Includes developmentally tailored content for Kindergarten, Pre-Primary, Year 1, and Year 2.
Perfect for early childhood and primary teachers looking for practical, evidence-aligned emotional literacy education.
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