Why We Love Using Our Glo Pals for Emotional Regulation,
Bedtime, and Sensory Regulation!
Using Glo Pals for Emotional Regulation
written by: COURTNEY ENGLISH, MOT OTR/L
Emotional regulation refers to being able to effectively and safely manage emotions in a healthy and adaptive way. This involves being aware of your emotions, understanding what triggers different emotions, and learning strategies to utilize when experiencing big emotions to calm the nervous system. When we experience emotional dysregulation that impacts our daily life, our nervous system shifts into a state of protection where we are no longer able to access our “thinking” brain to problem solve. It helps to have simple and effective strategies to prevent emotional meltdowns as well as modulate emotions during an active emotional meltdown.
Here are some ways that you can support emotional regulation using strategies from a pediatric occupational therapist:
- Teaching them about emotions through modeling your feelings during the day. For example, “I’m so frustrated I spilled my coffee, *takes a deep breath with long exhale*, “I’m going to find my calming sensory play jar to take a break”. Once you start to begin these verbal problem solving strategies, you can then begin to comment on your own child’s feelings. For example, “You look worried. I wonder if we could go find a safe place to take a break with your sensory play jar until you feel safe again?" OR “You seem angry. I wonder if shaking your sensory play jar could help your body feel better?”
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Understanding triggers and offering solutions. For example, stating to your child, I notice the grocery store is overwhelming to your brain. “There are a lot of things happening at the grocery store. I’m wondering if we could shake and watch our Sensory Play Jar to help your brain feel less busy?”
- Regulation strategies such as mindfulness, deep breathing, and participation in calming sensory activities can be a great way to regulate emotions. Glo Pals Sensory Play Jar with Fun Fillers provide calming visual input which can help regulate the nervous system. In addition to visual input, Glo Pals Sensory Play Jars offer auditory input and proprioceptive input as you listen to the sensory fillers move in the water and gain bilateral proprioceptive feedback when shaking the bottle. Using Sensory Play Jars can be used proactively in a “cozy corner” to help give the nervous system time to regulate after a long and busy day. It’s all about finding a way to allow the brain to regroup after a busy or overstimulating day to prevent meltdowns.
- Glo Pal’s Sensory Play Jars with Fun Fillers can also be used to support visual development, bilateral integration, motor planning (when shaking it), and visual perceptual skills (in addition to sensory regulation). You can use the sensory play jar for object based transitions which involve you bringing the sensory play jar on the go in the car, at the grocery store, or after school.
- We love to use our Glo Pals Sensory Play Jar during our bedtime routine through something called “sensory stacking”. Use the sensory play jar when doing tasks that are difficult to tolerate such as brushing hair or teeth to provide calming visual input to focus on. We also love to use it when transitioning from lights on to lights off for the “winding down” time before bed.
- We love to integrate Glo Pals light-up cubes in the bath to promote a calming sensory environment. We love to dim the lights when using the light-up cubes to send a signal to the brain that bedtime is near. It is beneficial to begin dimming lights around 1-2 hours before bed.
- The best way to integrate use of this toy is to intentionally play together with the Glo Pals Sensory Play jar to help fill their connection cup (1:1 time together) which supports self regulation skills.
We love our Glo Pals Sensory Play Jar – it has easily become a sensory anchor for us both in the home and on the go!
