Self-regulation development is already beginning at birth. In infancy, self-regulation (see box) is primarily an external process (McClelland, Ponitz, Messersmith and Tominey, 2010). What this means is that other people (parents and caregivers) most often provide regulation for a child.
Children typically provide cues when they need help regulating – for example, by crying or cooing – and look to an adult (parent or caregiver) to help regulate their needs. When a baby cries, a responsive parent or caregiver will help calm a baby by holding, rocking, soothing, changing the baby’s diaper, or feeding the baby.
As children grow and develop, self-regulation shifts from an external process to an increasingly internal process. Numerous factors play a role in a child’s ability to make the shift, including:
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