5 Ways to Nurture Somatic Awareness and Self-Regulation in Children
By Amy Hadden, NBC-HWC, FMCHC
Children’s big emotions can leave us scratching our heads. We want to nurture their young bodies and minds. We also want fewer meltdowns, easier bedtimes, and peaceful transitions. A somatic approach can help navigate challenging emotions and behaviors—especially for those moments when the spaghetti hits the fan.
Somatic and Interoceptive Awareness
Noticing a headache or a growling stomach are examples of interoceptive awareness. Infants cry when they notice the signals for being hungry, wet, or cold. While we are born with an awareness of sensations, we may deepen it with mindfulness-based interventions.
Our body sensations are an important component of self-regulation. Researcher and practitioner Kelly Mahler OTD, OTR/L supports interoceptive awareness in the children she works with. She notes improvement in emotional and behavioral regulation, including:
Identifying own emotions
Independently using coping mechanisms at early signs of distress
Recognizing their own signs of distress before a meltdown or shutdown
Recognizing when full, hungry, or in need of a bathroom break
Connecting with a wider variety of feel-good regulation strategies
More confident in social situations
Developing better sleep habits
Body signals give us clues to our emotions. They also give us clues as to what we might need to feel more regulated, such as socks when our feet are cold or shade and water when we’re hot and sweaty. This might also look like sensing our muscles tightening, noticing we’re getting agitated, and seeking out support before our nervous system is too activated. Some people may have room to grow when it comes to listening to their body’s messages.
Mahler states:
…Unreliable interoception is widely present across the general population but is also found to be prevalent in people that have specific diagnoses like autism, ADHD, depression, anxiety, and developmental trauma/PTSD. Because interoception is an “inside” process, when someone has an unreliable interoceptive experience, it is often misunderstood or mislabeled with terms such as oppositional, attention-seeking, defiant, challenging, lazy, reactive.
More research is looking at how we can grow our somatic awareness. Here are 5 intentional ways to support children’s somatic awareness and self-regulation.
1. Embrace Mindful Play
Children may benefit from mindfulness opportunities that are concrete. Here are a few examples to consider:
Drum together in a steady rhythm.
Blow bubbles with a wand to invite a slow, gentle breath.
Compile a sensory bin. Sensory bins provide opportunities for young children to experience a variety of textures and grounding rhythmic motions and sounds. Consider a box or tub filled with anything from dried beans or rice to cotton balls or colorful sand.
Invite children to draw what they hear. This can be while sitting in nature or while listening to a piece of music.
Create shaving cream art. Apply shaving cream to a tabletop. Toddlers and children can explore texture and sensation by creating shapes or letters with their fingers.
Sensory activities provide an opportunity to use somatic language.
“This shaving cream is cold and fluffy.”
“When I listen to the bird sing, my whole body gets still and I feel my face smile.”
“Huh, I notice my hand is tingly after hitting the drum.”
2. Cultivate Curiosity
Young brains soak up the language around them. Using somatic statements and questions are two ways Mahler suggests increasing children’s interoception.
Use Somatic Statements
By noticing and naming your own somatic sensations, children are gently guided to do likewise. It might sound like “This blanket from the dryer makes my skin feel so warm and snuggly.” Or, “Wow, my lips feel chapped and my throat is dry. I need to find my water bottle to get a drink.”
Ask Somatic Questions
Instead of starting with “You look sad,” consider, “I’m noticing your tears. What might be going on for you?” No reply is needed. The focus is not on a response from the child, but rather simply on the invitation to be curious.
As caregivers, it’s easy to want to label the emotion for the child. Instead, by starting with a question, we allow children to be the experts on their own lived experiences. We also honor the fact that there is no one experience or presentation of any emotion. Not that there’s no place for teaching different emotions; rather, create a space where questions and personal experience have a primary place.
3. Look for Everyday Opportunities
Finger paints? Popsicles? Playing tag? Where might there be opportunities to naturally invite a conversation around what we’re sensing? Consider:
Noticing sensations on our skin when stepping outside to play (sun, wind, rain, snow)
Noticing internal sensations such as heartbeat after running or butterflies in the stomach when excited
Noticing reactions to tastes and textures when preparing or eating food
4. Try a Somatic Storytime
An interactive storytime is another option. When reading together, act out the character’s movements. Jump, dance, skip, run, walk like you’re stuck in molasses. This might sound like, “Want to be a cow that jumps over the moon? Okay, let’s jump! Wow, what do you notice now? The bottoms of my feet feel tingly and my heart is beating faster.” You may consider children’s books that highlight bodily sensations such as Gabi Garcia’s Listening to My Body or DJ Cochrin’s I Feel Something.
In the elementary classroom, a lesson in verbs and adjectives could set the stage for a similar time of action and noticing. Educators and caregivers looking for structured curriculum and games might consider Kelly Mahler’s resources.
5. Honor our Differing Experiences
Remember Goldilocks and those three bears? There’s no one right reaction—be it to temperature, texture, or taking a tumble. This might look like swapping out the quick “You’re okay” at the playground with “Oh my, I hear your cries and see those tears. How are you now?”
Classroom and group settings offer other opportunities to honor the experiences of others. “Wow, she said the hand sanitizer feels stingy, and he said it feels cold. Isn’t it interesting we all have different reactions?” Validating and inviting differences can create a sense of safety to further support self-regulation. Co-regulation, being with a safe and supportive other, is foundational to self-regulation, as well.
For those of us with sensitive nervous systems, bright lights, loud sounds, and certain fabrics can feel threatening. Honoring others’ sensory experiences may also look like noticing when an environment is too stimulating. Caregivers and educators can both model and offer support by giving children choice.
Supporting our Own Somatic Awareness
As caregivers and educators, the state of our nervous system directly affects those around us. We can support children by supporting ourselves. When we begin or expand a mindfulness practice, work with a practitioner, or even just take 30 seconds to put our hand on our heart, we’re positively influencing not only our own lives, but also shaping the world around us.
Learn more at www.amyhaddencoaching.com
Sources
“The Big Book of Interoception Games Introduces a New Way to Look at Understanding Body Signals and Emotions.” 2023. Kelly Mahler. https://www.kelly-mahler.com/about-kelly/in-the-news/the-big-book-of-interoception-games-introduces-a-new-way-to-look-at-understanding-body-signals-and-emotions/.
Delahooke, Mona. 2019. Beyond Behaviors: Using Brain Science and Compassion to Understand and Solve Children's Behavioral Challenges. N.p.: PESI Publishing & Media.
Garcia, Gabi. 2017. Listening to My Body: A Guide to Helping Kids Understand the Connection Between Their Sensations (What the Heck Are Those?) and Feelings So That They Can Get Better at Figuring Out What They Need. N.p.: Skinned Knee Publishing.
“Interoception and Early Learners.” 2023. Kelly Mahler. https://www.kelly-mahler.com/resources/blog/interoception-and-early-learners/.
“Interoception for Parents and Caregivers.” n.d. Kelly Mahler. Accessed March 18, 2023. https://www.kelly-mahler.com/interoception-for-caregivers/.
“Interventions and Manipulations of Interoception - PMC.” n.d. NCBI. Accessed March 18, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7805576/.
Mahler, Kelly, Kerri Hample, Claudia Jones, Joseph Sensenig, Phoebe Thomasco, and Claudia Hilton. 2022. “Impact of an Interoception-Based Program on Emotion Regulation in Autistic Children.” PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35539883/.
“Resources.” n.d. DJ Corchin. Accessed March 20, 2023. https://www.djcorchin.com/guides.
About Amy Hadden
Amy Hadden (NBC-HWC, FMCHC) is a coach, writer and licensed educator. She helps people of all ages listen to their bodies with gentleness and respond to life with their unique strengths. Amy offers the Safe and Sound Protocol, a music-based program developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, alongside somatic coaching to support nervous system flexibility and enhance resilience. It’s her delight to walk alongside clients—including caregivers, kiddos, and those with complex health challenges—to decrease stress and increase wellbeing.
Meet Amy and learn more about how to nurture somatic awareness in children on The Embody Lab’s Therapist Directory.
If you’re interested in understanding more about how somatic practices can help you, consider working with a Somatic Therapist or Practitioner. The Embody Lab’s Somatic Therapist and Practitioner Directory can help you find the right practitioner to support your journey towards more self-compassion, connection, and authenticity. Explore our directory and find the support you need.
