RuthW

If you find this helpful, please share it with your colleagues :) As professionals working with children and families, we understand that behaviour is a form of communication. It allows individuals to express their needs, desires, and emotions. However, it is essential to recognise that there is often more to behaviour than what meets the eye. Beneath the surface lies attachment, the gravitational force that pulls us towards one another to survive. This attachment is embedded in our nervous systems and can manifest in our behaviours. When we only address observable behaviours, it is like placing a plaster on an open wound that requires significant attention. Instead, we must dig deeper to understand what lies beneath these behaviours. Our bodies often communicate our underlying emotions and sensations without conscious thought or effort. As Professionals, we must pay attention to our bodies and the communication indicators of the family we work with. (this isn't easy) By reflecting on our own nervous system states when confronted with dysregulated behaviours, we can meet  the pedson in a state of regulation. This approach helps create a more relational, preventative, and brain-aligned discipline practice. To achieve this, we can ask ourselves the following questions: •What am I communicating to the person through my behaviour, gestures, face, posture, and tone? •Have I checked in with my own nervous system and how it is responding to theother persons behaviour? •Am I being authentic? Am I in touch with my gut feelings and checking in with myself regularly? •Which family trigger me the most, and why? •Do I respond to each person's behaviour in the same way? •Which family do I redirect most often, and what behaviours do they exhibit? •What behaviours do I expect to see, and how do I react when they don't occur? •Which behaviours push my buttons the most? •At what time of day do I feel the most calm and happy? What is happening during that time? •At what time of day do I feel most dysregulated? •What is my definition of calm and connected? •Which family do I feel closest to, and why? By exploring these questions, we can better understand our own nervous systems and how we respond to the behaviours of others. This approach helps us create a more effective and compassionate discipline practice that considers the underlying emotions and needs of those we are trying to help :)