McCormick Institute for Early Childhood

BY Cara Murdoch, Sherry Rocha, Marie Masterson | March 8, 2022

This document may be printed, photocopied, and disseminated freely with attribution. All content is the property of the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership.

The extended pandemic has been stressful for everyone, but particularly for families with children. U.S. News and World Report notes that physical abuse tripled among school-aged children when stay-at-home orders were in effect. During times of duress, families who typically can manage life challenges, may be triggered to engage in increasingly reactive relationship behaviors. Challenges to families related to COVID-19 include health issues, physical isolation, financial difficulties, interruption to routines, and lack of access to high-quality, consistent child care. These detrimental stressors may disproportionately impact under-resourced communities and families who experience health inequities, lack of access to high-quality healthcare, greater financial risks, and disrupted social supports. As early childhood education leaders, there is a unique opportunity to provide safeguards against abuse, especially during the most challenging times.


There are four recognized types of child abuse, including neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. As noted by the Safe & Sound organization, neglect includes failure to provide for a child’s basic needs, including physical, educational, or emotional. Physical abuse includes injury as a result of hitting, kicking, shaking, burning, or otherwise harming a child. Sexual abuse includes indecent exposure, fondling, rape, or commercial exploitation through prostitution or the production of pornographic material. Finally, emotional abuse includes any pattern of behavior that impairs a child’s emotional development or sense of self-worth, including constant criticism, threats, and rejection.


Often, signs of abuse are visible when physical abuse or neglect occurs. However, emotional abuse may be harder to detect or may be disguised as misbehavior in children. During isolation, children engage in greater use of screen time, have reduced physical activity, and demonstrate increased rates of challenging behaviors. In turn, children’s isolation and intensified behavior issues contribute to family stress and reduce children’s opportunities to develop positive, supportive relationships with people outside of the home. Teachers may notice and respond to behavior issues but may not appropriately recognize and address the underlying issues of stress, trauma, or abuse.


Expanding the Vision and Approach


Because of the prolonged challenges families experience during the pandemic, it is important to broaden the context of abuse and consider a range of related issues, including exposure to daily trauma and toxic stress. Recently, attention has been given to the impacts of discrimination, violence, and other adverse experiences that impact children’s early life experiences and may heighten the lasting effects of trauma. During the past two years, violence has risen and impacted neighborhood safety and families’ wellbeing. Child Trends notes that during children’s early years, they are more susceptible to the negative impacts of trauma, since early toxic stress impacts their relationships with others and social-emotional, cognitive, and physical development.


When children have the support of resilient families, they more easily rebound; however, when children experience prolonged toxic stress and do not have adults able to provide emotional support and help them thrive, negative impacts may be lasting. Early childhood program leaders and staff can play an important role as first responders to address these challenges and support the resilience of children and families.


Strategies for Early Childhood Programs


To prevent child trauma and abuse, programs can serve as important safe havens for families who may be in the danger zone – meaning they are currently experiencing extreme, prolonged, or toxic stress and need intervention to prevent escalation. When issues require professional support, staff can offer a range of information and contact numbers for confidential counseling and connections to social service agencies. Of course, when signs of abuse are present, staff must act as mandated reporters and contact their state or local child abuse hotline immediately.


When staff notice families are stressed, they can offer practical support early on when signs are first present. Programs can focus on developing positive relationships and providing a safe forum to address issues. The following strategies are a good place to start:


  • Highlight National Child Abuse Prevention Month by sharing the 2021/2022 Resource Guide to increase awareness and commitment to advocacy for children and families.
  • Gather a group of dedicated staff, family members, and community partners to form a task force. Invite others who want to be advocates to join with you to assist in setting goals and creating connections between the program and community partners and resources.
  • Use the guiding principles to a trauma-informed approach when communicating with families and incorporate these in classroom teaching strategies. Learn more about the impact of trauma, how to create safe and validating experiences for children and families, and strategies to help children communicate their feelings and solve problems.
  • Incorporate social-emotional (SEL) curriculum to support the development of empathy and social-emotional skills. Behavior dysregulation may be present in young children who are experiencing trauma. SEL curriculum can help them learn to cope with challenges and experience success in the classroom.
  • Explore anti-bullying programs that teach bystanders not to remain silent and teach strategies to get help. Children often endure persistent stress or trauma when they are bullied or witness bullying. They may become bullies if left on their own to solve problems, if they do not receive ongoing adult assistance.
  • Provide a range of family education materials, discussions, events, or support groups that offer social, psychological, and physical supports to families.
  • Introduce family resources, including materials that address stress and trauma in infants and toddlers and offer support for crying and other stress-related behaviors. Help families prepare ahead of time to recognize signs of stress and plan consistent routines that can promote security.
  • Identify community and mental health resources for families, including information about the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and the importance of trauma-informed care. Program staff and families may use these resources to help themselves and children cope with stress in healthy ways.
  • Connect staff and families with tools and resources, such as a stress screening available from Mental Health America.
  • Ask local experts to take part in family events to answer questions related to children’s mental health, nutrition, sleep issues, and stress management.


During these challenging times, early childhood leaders and staff can make a significant positive impact by promoting staff and family resilience. National Child Abuse Prevention Month is the perfect time to explore new resources, invite others to share ideas, and spotlight the mental health of children. Reach out to other early childhood programs in your area, call your local news station, connect with social service agencies, and let your community know you are working together to prevent child abuse and promote the wellbeing of children and families.

Cara Murdoch, B.A., is an assessor and training specialist and a member of the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force. Cara earned a baccalaureate degree in art and psychology and a lifetime teaching certificate for Art K-12 from Culver-Stockton College. Previously, Cara was a Quality Specialist. She spent 20 years in the Early Childhood Education field in classroom settings and as an assistant director. Cara initiated, advised, and was a consultant in the development of the year-round Essentials Preschool Curriculum for Gospel Publishing House.


Sherry Rocha, MS.Ed., is an assessor and training specialist at the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership. She holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in multicultural education. Sherry has been dedicated to children and their welfare, safety, and emotional growth for over 30 years. She designed Nurturing Creativity in Children, a curriculum that won a national award from the National Extension Association of Family Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS), and was the recipient of additional awards for state and regional diversity work as the leader of the Education and Community committees of the Chicago Latino Coalition for Prevention. Sherry took the lead in creating the coalition’s video, Choosing Quality Childcare, in Spanish with subtitles in English.


Marie Masterson, Ph.D., is the director of quality assessment at the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership. She holds a doctorate in early childhood education, is a licensed teacher, and is a national speaker and author of many books and articles that address research-based, practical skills for high-quality teaching, behavior guidance, quality improvement in early childhood programs, and leadership. She is a contributing author and editor of the book, Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children Birth Through Age Eight, Fourth Edition.

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Downloading Calm: Supporting Co-Regulation in Early Childhood Leaders

By Lindsay Miner • January 14, 2026
BY LINDSAY MINER In recent years, social-emotional learning and development have emerged as a key focus of research and discourse in early childhood education. A key component of social-emotional development is emotional regulation. Although emotional regulation is often referred to as “self-regulation,” early relationships with trusted caregivers are an important factor in developing the “self” piece of “self-regulation.” In their earliest years, children rely on trusted caregivers to help them manage and soothe distressing emotions and sensations. This process is called “ co-regulation .” However, for co-regulation to be successful, the adult caregiver must first be able to manage their own distressing emotions in a healthy manner. So, what happens when co-regulation depends on adults who are consistently overworked and overstimulated? This article will explore ways in which early childhood leaders and administrators can use co-regulation to support early childhood educators, ultimately leading to enhanced self-regulation skills in educators. STRESS BEGETS STRESS Early childhood educators are living and working in unprecedented times. According to the 2024 RAND American Pre-K Teacher Survey , public pre-K teachers nationwide reported experiencing workplace stress at nearly twice the rate of similar working adults in other occupations. Top stressors include: Low levels of compensation. Lack of support and resources in addressing children’s challenging behaviors and mental health needs. Navigating teaching and learning during, and after, a global pandemic. Increased workload that requires working outside of contracted hours. Staffing shortages and high rates of teacher turnover. Compassion fatigue and burnout from the emotional labor of the job. The Child Mind Institute explains that in the same way that an adult’s calm can help a child feel calm, an adult’s stress can cause a child to feel stressed. Therefore, the first step in successful co-regulation requires that trusted caregivers are able to handle their own stress in a healthy way. However, feedback from early childhood educators, such as the stressors listed above, demonstrates that handling stress in a healthy way is easier said than done. Downloading Calm With the high levels of workplace stress being reported by early childhood professionals in recent years, it is more important than ever that leaders and administrators within early childhood become a source of co-regulation for their staff. Dr. Becky Bailey refers to the process of co-regulation between a trusted caregiver and a child as “ downloading calm .” However, downloading calm is not exclusive to adult-child relationships. Below are some ways that early childhood leaders and administrators can download calm to their staff. Mindfulness Exercises According to Zero to Three , research has shown the benefits of mindfulness in managing stress for early childhood educators. These benefits include, reducing anxiety and depression, increasing levels of empathy and compassion, and enhancing emotional regulation, self-compassion, attentional awareness, and perspective taking. Some mindfulness exercises leaders and administrators can initiate with staff include: 1. The STOP Strategy : Stop. In times of stress and overwhelm, encourage staff members to: Stop, pause, and focus. Take a deep breath in and out alongside staff members. Encourage them to notice how it feels to breathe. Observe. Encourage staff members to acknowledge the emotions and physical responses that they are feeling, positive or negative, without judgment. Recognize that these feelings are valid, momentary, and manageable. Proceed. Give staff members space to think about how they want to respond. Process alongside them if they need to talk, and provide assistance in the classroom if they need a moment to themselves. 2. Rhythmic Breathing : Teach and practice rhythmic breathing alongside staff members as a tool to use when they are feeling stressed: Breathe in as you count to four. Hold that breath as you count to four. Breathe out as you count to four. Hold as you count to four. Repeat this for a few rounds and notice how your mind and body feel afterwards. 3. Five Senses Exercise : Teach this exercise to staff members and practice alongside them as a tool to use to ground themselves when they are feeling overwhelmed: See: Look around you and name five things you can see. Feel: Notice and describe the texture of four things you can feel/touch. Listen: Notice and name three things you can hear. Smell: Notice and name two things you can smell. Taste: Notice one thing you can taste. Focus on the sensations in your mouth, such as your teeth and tongue. Consider posting Zero to Three’s Guided Reflective Practice Checklist in classrooms, break rooms, and offices. Encourage staff members to set aside time for reflection each day. It may be helpful if administrators step into the classroom to allow each staff member a few minutes for reflective practice. Leaders and administrators should also set aside time for their own reflections each day. Reflective Supervision Reflective supervision provides consistent, ongoing support to increase the reflective capacity of early childhood educators through a collaborative and trusting relationship with a leader/administrator. Practicing reflective supervision with early childhood educators can reduce stress and provide opportunities for leaders and administrators to gain insight into the challenges and stressors their staff members face, and find moments to recharge and remain (or download) calm. Research indicates that consistent reflective supervision can lead to positive changes in early childhood caregivers, including improved reflective functioning, increased job satisfaction, and reduced rates of burnout. When leaders provide a regular, collaborative, and trusting space for reflection with their staff members, their staff members are better equipped to offer reflective support to the children and families they engage with. Some tips for effective reflective supervision: 1. Maintain a consistent (ideally weekly) day and time for reflective supervision with each staff member. 2. Operate from a strengths-based approach Provide staff members with the respect and support that you want to see them provide to children and families. Consider staff members your partners in creating positive and trusting environments for children and families. Reflect on staff members’ input based on their own, unique expertise and experience. Reflect that staff members’ contributions are valuable and important. 3. Consider reflective questions, such as: Tell me more about…? How did it feel when…? What are you noticing about…? What do you think the child was trying to communicate? What are your strengths in this situation? What are you finding the most challenging right now? What would you like to learn or develop next? How might your own experiences be influencing your reaction? How can I best support you in this? 4. Make time for your own reflection: What are your strengths in the supervisory relationship? What are you finding most challenging about reflective supervision? What common stressors are coming up in reflective supervision and how can you best start to address them? Early childhood leaders and administrators can act as co-regulation partners for their staff members by taking the time to weave practices such as mindfulness and reflective supervision into the daily fabric of their learning environments. This has the potential to create a beautiful trickle-down effect. By helping staff members co-regulate, staff members enhance their own self-regulation skills. As staff members enhance their own self-regulation skills, they become a more consistent and stable co-regulation partner for the children and families they serve.
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