Introduce
“Emotional containment” in the context of parenting refers to the ability of parents to manage and regulate their own emotions while also helping their children understand and regulate theirs. It involves creating a safe and supportive environment for children to express their feelings and learn how to cope with them in a healthy way.
Develop
The experience of raising a child can result in a wide range of emotions for parents and caregivers. It often brings a sense of purpose and fulfillment, as well as moments of joy, love and connection. At the same time, it can present overwhelming challenges and periods of significant, and sometimes relentless, stress. This impacts a parent’s ability to contain their own emotions and therefore be present to be able to respond to the emotional needs of their baby or young child.
The following resource ‘Keeping Your Cool’ offers advice for parents who might be struggling to manage feelings of stress and anger.
Reflect
Stop and Reflect: Take some time to think about how you can support parents with emotional containment:
– How can you help parents to recognise and manage their own emotions to create a calm and supportive environment for their baby?
– How do you balance responding with empathy and validation whilst also encouraging parents to develop practical coping strategies?
– What opportunities might you have to model emotional containment in your interactions with parents?