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Mental health providers and other professionals often talk about a child or adult's "dysregulation" and "self-regulation," but these terms are often left undefined. A 2017 summary and the 2015 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services help define self-regulation and show the complex social, biological, and environmental factors involved in development of self-regulation.

The summary defines self-regulation as "the act of managing one’s thoughts and feelings to engage in goal-directed actions such as organizing behavior, controlling impulses, and solving problems constructively."

Components of self-regulation
Self-regulation is a term that refers to a number of essential capabilities for successful human functioning.

Being able to self-regulate helps us succeed in many aspects of life, including creating satisfying relationships, tolerating difficulty, prospering in school and work, managing finances, and maintaining physical and mental health. Self-regulation is a critical life skill. ...continue reading →

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If you're wondering how to motivate your child or teen to do their school work, you're not alone. Many parents struggle with this.

An article on motivation noted how difficult it is to motivate kids to do their school work.

That article describes several approaches for encouraging others to change their behavior:

  • economic incentives - rewards that appeal to self-interest,
  • moral or social incentives - pressure to follow social norms for the common good, and
  • intrinsic incentives - being motivated by one's own inner desires.

Behavioral methods often begin with economic or moral incentives, but ideally culminate with the student learning to work for internal or intrinsic incentives.
...continue reading →

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