Turtle Time – Learning Emotionally Resiliency
Written By: Annie Gardner - Parent & Community Program Facilitator
Arguably, one of the hardest skills to learn as a child is to identify big emotions and how to respond appropriately to those feelings. As a child, the response to big feelings may be explosive and dramatic – most of us have witnessed a child in meltdown mode where they are kicking, punching or screaming. Kids react in big ways because they do not yet have the skills necessary to identify what they are feeling, and then make a good choice with what to do with those big feelings.
Learning how to cope with emotions is a lifelong journey. At each stage of development, we are able to add new skills for developing resiliency, as well as methods for coping to avoid meltdown. Science tells us that as the brain grows and develops, the pathways for responding to emotions changes. When we are young, our emotions are managed by our amygdala. This means that big feelings cause us to be reactionary and respond with fight or flight. It is why kids automatically get stuck in meltdown or seem out of control. As we age, the prefrontal cortex develops and helps manage emotions. When this happens, we gain the ability to slow those big feelings. We become proactive and think through our thoughts, feeling and reactions, and take the time to make good decisions.
Further, studies show that when we start young, we have more opportunities to learn multiple coping mechanisms, have more time to practice those skills, and are thus more equipped to learn and grow into adults with healthy social emotional intelligence. The brain takes around 25 years to develop, so the more practice, skills and supports we can provide, early and often, the easier the pathway becomes to healthy decision making and emotional regulation. Like building a sturdy house, we must start from the ground up with a firm foundation. This means we must teach our young kids how to identify and manage their emotions and move from being reactive to being proactive.
Safe Harbor Coronado is a local non-profit that provides our community with skills, supports and resources for mental health and wellbeing. This vision extends from our oldest to our youngest community members. Thus, throughout the school year, Safe Harbor Coronado visits each school in Coronado to deliver, dynamic, evidence-based curriculum that teaches kids the skills to identify, manage and respond when they have big feelings at different ages. For our youngest kids, Turtle Time is the curriculum utilized to help kids build a strong emotional foundation.
Turtle Time is a program that follows Tucker Turtle as he navigates big feelings. Tucker helps kids relate to real world examples of what might cause big emotions in their lives, how the body feels when experiencing those feelings, and then what to do. At the base level, Turtle Time teaches 3 simple steps to managing a big feeling: The first step is to stop, which means to freeze what you are doing when you feel your body reacting to an emotion. The second step is to ‘tuck into your shell’ and take three deep breaths. This step allows kids a moment to pause and calm the body down. The third step is to put on a thinking cap and think of a plan for what to do next. In this way, students learn to recognize the signs the body gives them when they are having big emotions, and then teaches them to pause, calm the body, and think before acting.
Through engaging storytelling, classroom games, group discussions and dynamic actions, students spend four sessions learning and practicing Turtle Time. Upon completion of the Turtle Time series, students are equipped with knowledge and skills they can use in the real world. Plus, thanks to a collaboration with FOCUS, they receive their own Turtle Time book, a water bottle sticker and a squishy turtle to help them remember Turtle Time, encourage them to practice and teach others the easy steps, and connect with the content over time.
Learning how to manage emotions is hard. Turtle Time is a wonderful program that helps build a strong emotional foundation that lays the groundwork for learning future coping skills as kids manage more complex emotions as they age. It sets the groundwork for emotional well-being and resiliency by teaching and practicing the practical skills to apply in big emotional situations. Though it is clearly aimed at young kids, the content transfers to people of all ages and is a steppingstone for growth.
No matter if you are young, old, or in between, the next time you are feeling a big emotion try Turtle Time: Stop, tuck into your shell, take three deep breaths, put your thinking cap on and make a positive plan for action. Tucker Turtle says, ‘You can do Turtle Time anywhere, and the more you practice, the better you will be.” Managing emotions takes time, self-discipline, and grace. But with practice and intention, we can all learn to better manage big feelings and grow into less reactive, more emotionally resilient healthy humans.