❄️ 12 Days of Regulation: Day 8 ❄️
Welcome to Day 8! Today’s skill is one of the hardest — and most important — emotional regulation strategies: Flexible Thinking.
🧠 What Is Flexible Thinking?
Flexible thinking is the ability to:
Adapt when something changes
Try a different way
Shift expectations
Stay calm when things don’t go as planned
See more than one option
It’s what helps kids handle:
Schedule changes
Disappointments
Turn-taking
Problem-solving
Homework transitions
Unexpected events
For many students, especially those with ADHD or anxiety, inflexibility leads to FAST frustration. When the brain is rigid, regulation becomes much harder.
🍝 The Spaghetti vs. Pipe Cleaner Analogy
Uncooked spaghetti = rigid thinking It snaps when bent → just like kids “snap” when expectations break.
Pipe cleaner = flexible thinking It bends, reshapes, adjusts — without breaking.
Kids learn very quickly that being flexible keeps you calmer, safer, and more successful in daily situations.
🎯 Why Flexibility Supports Regulation
Flexible thinking strengthens executive functions like:
✔️ Cognitive Flexibility
Seeing more than one solution → lowers frustration.
✔️ Impulsivity Control
Kids pause instead of reacting when things change.
✔️ Emotional Regulation
Fewer explosions when plans shift or surprises come up.
✔️ Planning & Problem-Solving
Kids learn to brainstorm options using the “Option Scale.”
The brain becomes less “spaghetti” and more “pipe cleaner.” 🌀
🎁 Today’s Free Tool: Being a Flexible Thinker Activity
🌟 Want your Child to be a Flexible Thinker?
Our 6-Week 1:1 Emotional Regulation Coaching Program includes:
“Spaghetti vs. pipe cleaner” flexibility exercises
Option Scale practice
Reframing rigid thoughts
Handling change calmly
Problem-solving + resilience skills
Making flexible thinking part of everyday routine
💡 Bonus: Everyone who purchases a 6-week Regulation Coaching package between Dec 3–15 will be entered to win our “Regulation Basket” — filled with our favorite sensory and calming tools straight from Amazon!
✨ Let’s make this December the month of calm, clarity, and connection.
Stay tuned tomorrow for Day 9 of Regulation!
With warmth, Giovanna & the Connected Pathways Coaching Team 🧠💛
