Teachers, parents, and mental health professionals often find themselves
overwhelmed by behaviour issues. For instance, teachers with many kids in their
class or parents with many little ones might struggle to regulate problematic
behaviour when they’re pulled in so many different directions at once. Often, it
might feel easier to simply send students to the office or put kids on ‘time out.’

But punishments like these often fail as effective solutions to these
behaviours. While they might deter undesirable behavior temporarily, they don’t
get to the core of the issue and can even lead to negative outcomes, such as
broken trust between the child and adult. Adopting a social-emotional learning
approach, however, can be much more effective in creating lasting change.

Social-emotional learning (also known as SEL) is an educational approach
that focuses on promoting emotional intelligence, social awareness, and
interpersonal skills. Put simply, it’s about learning how to be a happy, functional
person and build a thriving life, touching upon skills like emotional regulation,
responsible decision making, and effective communication.

So, how could a focus on SEL help you productively manage behaviour
issues? In this blog, we’ll explain exactly why prioritizing SEL – whether at home,
in the classroom, or in therapeutic sessions – is so effective in tackling behaviour
issues in young kids, creating lasting change instead of temporary solutions.

Encourages Effective Communication

One mindset shift that can help you begin to manage behaviour issues
more effectively is to start looking at behavior issues as communication issues.
On the surface, it may seem like a kid is ‘acting out,’ but often, these behaviours
stem from a child’s inability to communicate and express their feelings in a
healthy, effective way. For instance, if a young child doesn’t have the skills or
tools to calmly express to someone that their words hurt their feelings, they’ll
reach for the tools they do have, like crying or hitting.

SEL helps kids learn how to identify and describe their feelings, as well as
express and communicate these feelings effectively, by providing them with the

necessary emotional vocabulary. When kids are able to understand and describe
what they’re feeling and what they’re needing, they are less likely to engage in
disruptive behaviour. In fact, one study linked a focus on SEL to a 42% reduction
in instances of physical aggression.

Here at MindSparks Kids, we offer many resources that can help kids learn
to identify and describe their emotions. For instance, our Daily Feelings Journal
prompts kids to review how they were feeling that day, anything they were
worried about, and what they did to feel better, while our Emojis Feelings
Printable helps teach young kids different words to describe their feelings.
Resources like this are great at helping kids practice skills of emotional
awareness and communication. By learning how to describe and become aware
of their emotions, they can develop the skills necessary to communicate these
emotions productively, which deters disruptive behaviour.

Promotes Self-Regulation

On a similar note, another cornerstone of SEL is learning how to
self-regulate. When kids aren’t able to regulate their emotions on their own, they
may end up engaging in harmful behaviour as a way of coping.

We see this often when people are struggling with feelings of depression,
as an example. Without the skills to effectively self-soothe and navigate these
feelings of depression, they may turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms. They
might also end up lashing out at loved ones; this ends up isolating them from the
very people they’re wanting support from, which can create a vicious cycle that is
difficult to escape from.

But with a focus on SEL, kids begin to learn how to self-soothe and move
through difficult emotions more productively. This helps discourage harmful
behaviours and promotes positive decision-making. For example, our Depression
Worksheet guides kids through reflective questions. It asks them to reflect on
how they’re feeling and what they could do to feel better, and even prompts them
to identify their greatest strengths and special skills. Worksheets like this guide
kids through the process of self-regulation, equipping them with the skills
necessary to navigate and change these difficult feelings. When children are

more easily able to self-regulate, they’re less likely to engage in disruptive
behaviour as a means of coping.

Teaches Mindfulness

You’ve likely heard of the concept of ‘mindfulness’ before, but did you know
it is actually a key component of SEL? SEL places an emphasis on the skill of
mindfulness, or the practice of being actively aware of what we are experiencing
in the present moment, as it has a big impact on our behaviour.

When we are acting mindfully, we have better self-awareness, impulse
control, and focus. Through practicing mindfulness, children learn to become
aware of their feelings, pause before reacting, and respond thoughtfully. This
helps deter disruptive behaviour and encourages calmness. Mindfulness also
helps improve attention and focus, helping children stay present and on task; this
can lead to improved behaviour in academic and social settings.

Mindfulness can be practiced through exercises like mindfulness
meditation or deep breathing exercises, and there are resources you can use to
guide this practice. For example, here at MindSparks Kids, we offer many
different Calm Moments, including our 2 Minute Calm “Sizzling Egg” video and
our 5 Minute Calm “Unicorn” video. You can pair these videos with mindful
breathing or a quick meditation to help cultivate the skill of mindfulness. Even
quick practices like this can yield significant benefits.

In conclusion, it is clear that a social-emotional learning approach is one of
the best things you can do to address behaviour issues, as it offers sustainable
solutions that create lasting, life-long change. By prioritizing SEL at home, in
classrooms, or in therapeutic sessions, we can equip kids with the tools
necessary to navigate and thrive in any environment.

Try MindSpark Kids FREE for 7 days!

At MindSpark Kids, we help parents, caregivers, educators, and mental health professionals teach children how to develop necessary life skills. Why? Because socially and emotionally intelligent children grow up to be healthy, happy adults.

MindSpark Kids is an online membership with a database of social and emotional learning videos and worksheets to help children understand their emotions, make good decisions, and think critically.