Emotional Regulation in Daycare Guide 2026: Teaching Children to Manage Feelings

Emotional regulation—the ability to manage big feelings and respond appropriately—is one of the most important skills children develop in their early years. Quality daycare programs intentionally teach emotional regulation through explicit instruction, modeling, and creating environments that support children learning to understand and manage their emotions.

Table of Contents

• Understanding Emotional Regulation
• What Quality Programs Offer
• Calming Strategies
• Supporting Regulation at Home

Understanding Emotional Regulation

What it means for young children.

Developmental Expectations

| Age | Regulation Ability | |-----|-------------------| | 0-1 | Needs adult co-regulation | | 1-2 | Beginning awareness | | 2-3 | Naming feelings emerging | | 3-4 | Simple strategies developing | | 4-5 | Increasing self-control |

Key Skills

Regulation includes:

• Identifying emotions
• Understanding triggers
• Using calming strategies
• Returning to baseline
• Expressing needs appropriately

What Quality Programs Offer

Social-Emotional Curriculum

Quality includes:

• Emotion identification activities
• Feeling vocabulary
• Calming corner/space
• Breathing and body techniques
• Problem-solving skills

Teacher Role

Good teachers:

• Model emotional regulation
• Co-regulate with children
• Teach specific strategies
• Remain calm during meltdowns
• Validate all feelings

Calming Strategies

What programs teach.

Common Techniques

Strategies for children:

• Deep breathing (balloon breath, smell the flower)
• Counting
• Calm-down corner
• Squeezing hands/objects
• Moving body
• Asking for help

Supporting Regulation at Home

Partner with Daycare

Ask:

• What strategies does daycare use?
• Use same language at home
• Practice techniques together
• Stay consistent

Resources

• Find Quality Daycare Near You
• Social-Emotional Development Guide
• Biting and Hitting Guide

Last updated: December 2025