15.13: Impulse Control

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Amanda Taintor

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Controlling Emotions and Impulses

Children's developing capacity to control impulses helps them adapt to social situations and follow rules. As infants grow, they become increasingly able to exercise voluntary control over behavior such as waiting for needs to be met, inhibiting potentially hurtful behavior, and acting according to social expectations, including safety rules. Group care settings provide many opportunities for children to practice their impulse control skills. Peer interactions often offer natural opportunities for young children to practice impulse control as they learn about cooperative play and sharing. Young children's understanding or ignorance of requests made of them contributes to their responses (Kaler & Kopp, 1990). [1]

Two toddler facing each other each playing with different blocks — Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Playing with peers allows opportunities to work on impulse control. (C[2])

[1] California Department of Education (CDE Press). Development Foundations: Social-Emotional Development . Is used with permission

[2] Image by Amanda Taintor is licensed CC BY-NC