The Calm Brain is a Thinking Brain: A Brain-Set Learning Environment for Young Children (Duncan & Murray, 2021) highlights the importance of the environment in early childhood education. Parents can also use this knowledge to support their children’s survival brain.
The survival brain is located in the brainstem at the base of the brain. Its primary role is to keep us alive by regulating automatic bodily functions such as breathing and heart rate (Nagel & Scholes, 2016).
Before children can effectively think or learn, they must first feel safe and secure. Emotional distress can trigger a fight, flight, or freeze response and increase cortisol production. Prolonged exposure to elevated cortisol can leave children in a constant state of alertness. This heightened stress can negatively affect executive functioning skills, including memory, adaptability, and self-regulation (Tokuhama-Espinosa, 2011).
Fostering safety and security at home is therefore essential. A calm and supportive environment can help meet the needs of a child’s survival brain.
Tips for supporting the survival brain at home
- Maintain consistent schedules for meals, bedtime, homework, and play.
- Limit background noise from televisions, devices, or loud conversations.
- Model calm behaviour during conflicts or challenging moments.
- Validate emotions by acknowledging what your child is experiencing.
- Ensure your child gets adequate sleep for their age and developmental needs.
- Spend quality one-to-one time with your child each day.
- Help your child feel valued, heard, and connected to you.
When children consistently experience safety, predictability, and supportive relationships, their survival brain remains calmer, allowing them to focus, learn, remember information, and regulate their emotions more effectively.
