Flooded: A Brain-Based Guide to Help Children Regulate Emotions

by Allison Edwards

A Brain-Based Guide to Help Children Regulate Emotions.

When your brain perceives danger, your body and mind will go instantly into one of three modes-flight, fight, or freeze. Your heart races, your body tenses up, your hands shake, and your emotions take over rational thought.

You've entered The Flood Zone.

When children experience The Flood Zone, their behavior changes. They yell, bite, or run away. They withdraw and lose concentration. They blame and lie. In this state, children are unable to be rational, regulated, or otherwise compliant. Even the most motivated child (or adult) with the greatest coping strategies won't be able to identify or manage their emotions in The Flood Zone.

In Flooded, counselor and bestselling author, Allison Edwards explains how parents, teachers, and counselors can identify when children have entered The Flood Zone. She also offers suggestions for teaching children (and adults!) how to regain control of their emotions.

In this book, you'll

An overview of how the brain interacts with emotionsUnderstanding of the role of trauma in emotional healthExplanation of why children can't respond rationally in stressful circumstancesTechniques for teaching children how to regulate emotionsSuggestions for setting up your classroom or office to improve emotional awarenessStrategies for improving interactions with children at school and homeAs educators, parents, and professionals, we need to teach children and teens how to identify their emotions, learn what triggers those feelings, and provide strategies to manage their feelings in a healthy way. This book explains how.

Genres: Parenting, Counselling, Nonfiction, Emotion, Mental Health

95 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 4, 2021

About the author

Allison Edwards is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist who specializes in working with children, adolescents, and their families. She received her undergraduate degree in Education from Northwest Missouri State and a graduate degree in Counseling from Vanderbilt University.
Before opening a private practice, Allison developed and maintained a play therapy program for at-risk and immigrant children in the public school system. In her current practice, she sees children of all ages, consults with parents, supervises counselors, and writes about childhood anxiety. She also serves as an Affiliate Professor at Vanderbilt University where she enjoys teaching future counselors how to work with kids.

Reviews

[Laura Twaroski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really quick read that offered some solid insight into the impact of emotions on the brain and suggestions toward helping a child identify and learn to regulate their own emotions.

[novi a. puspita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buku tipis yg asyik. Semoga di waktu mendatang, anak saya saat memasuki usia pra remaja mau baca buku ini. Jelas membantu! Andai dulu saat remaja saya ketemu buku ini, rasanya pergumulan pikiran & batin usia2 remaja bisa sedikitnya berkurang, atau bahkan ngga ada itu banyak bingung2, nangis-nangis.

[Alex Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good review of information on trauma, aces and behavior.

Reiterated I suck as a parent.

Encouraged me to try a new strategy or two at home and in my classroom.

[Emily Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a parent of 3 neurodiverse children with what I like to call “Syndrome Soup” this is an excellent book to review what happens when emotions become escalated, and how to help children identify and learn skills to regulate those intense emotions.
When anyone is in that flood zone, we are unable to access our ability to reason and logic, which this book does a good job at reminding caregivers. We must learn to be patient and understanding, and to recognize when it is the right time to talk and when to use other skills.

One piece of advice I want to give all caregivers who are reading this book during a time of potential crisis: we never have all the answers, and it will always be a matter of being our own scientists. By that, I mean we try new approaches, and we fail fast and regroup with better information moving forward and try again.

[Amber Nutter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flooded is a book that takes you on the journey of reminders to stop and think, learn about emotional responses and provides strategies to further the home to school communication. Providing insight into felt safety and asking “how are you” rather than “what happened/what’s wrong it provides a better insight into their emotional state. It can be hard at times since educators are humans and can react in the moment as we also can be in fight, flight and freeze mode. I am hopeful in the future there will continue to be more resources in the area of co-regulation that blend with brain-based education and strategies.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our elementary school guidance counselor recommended this book to all parents at our school. It offers good, succinct explanations for what is happening in the brain when kids are overcome by emotion. I have a child who just devolves into uncontrollable tears from time to time. I think I will use the brain-based explanation to help her understand why she sometimes feels so out of control.

The book could be better if it offered a few more self-regulation technics. Though the ones it has are good.

[Karen Gavra · Rating 5 out of 5]

awalnya beli buku ini iseng krn mumet bgt pengen baca bacaan ringan dan tipis di tengah2 ngerjain Skripsi. ternyata buku nya insightful sekali. meskipun judulnya buat membantu anak2, tapi menurut gue ini juga bisa diterapkan ke orang sekitar, kayak orang tua, pasangan, atau keluarga.

dan menurut gue orang2 yg mikir pengen punya anak atau pengen nikah nantinya, wajib sih buat baca buku ini. seengaknya sekali seumur hidup deh.

[Ernest Kincaid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Short and sweet, and insightful. I also, as she says at the end, wish I had known this when I was younger. How different things would have been. I want to read more now, by Edward's, and will be getting her companion work on coping strategies, "15 Minute Counseling Techniques." As a teacher, I am starting to implement some of her advice in my classroom immediately and look forward to learning more.

[Kelly McPherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely some good information about emotions and trauma and the brain. The suggestion to wait out a kiddo while they’re flooded is common sense but with the students I teach they sometimes need co-regulation in order to get calm. Also, there are some good strategies for teaching self regulation but the students I teach require a more visual approach such as The Zones of Regulation.

[Sylvia Prastika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bukunya nggak cuma bisa dibaca sama pendidik atau profesional konseling aja tapi para orangtua juga bisa baca buku ini biar bisa bantu anaknya mengelola emosi mereka. Dan kita bisa menerapkan sama orang sekitar nggak cuma buat anak-anak aja. Bukunya tipis tapi insightful, cocok buat yang lagi belajar ilmu parenting mau yang belum atau udah menikah sampe yang para orang tua.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as part of a book study for work, this quick guide was full of great ideas for any educator or parent to implement. It gives a quick and easy to understand viewpoint of what a flooded or triggered brain does, and how it sets a person into a fight, flight, or freeze reaction.

I would have like more depth in the science.

[Krystle Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was required reading for my job. While I felt that it didn't help with my profession, it provided a lot of insight into how to treat teenagers in distress from a parent's perspective. I think it made me a more understanding parent with my own daughters.

[Amanda Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredibly powerful and insightful book. As an educator and parent, this was eye opening in how to fully understand what my children’s and students’ brains process daily struggles. This book is invaluable and should be on everyone’s shelf, regardless of profession or child status.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quick read. Simplistic, but it is helping me understand one of my children who goes into a “flooded” emotional state frequently. Lots to think about. Will be looking for more ideas on the subject. Written from a school counselor’s perspective— includes advice for counselors and parents.

[Ashley Quinton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for work and it was a quick and easy read with some helpful information and strategies. I wish she would have gone into a little more detail about some of the strategies but what I’ve learned will be helpful in my classroom and with my kids at home.

[Rebecca Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative and Practical

To the point with practical strategies for teaching children the essential skills needed to self-regulate. Great for counselors, social workers, and parents.

[Kim Erwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent book - nothing earth shattering for me, but definitely a good read for school counselors - especially those new to the profession.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for educators and parents. Quick read with tons of helpful strategies.

[Mel Corrigan]

The content was useful. Probably could have been more refined and better formatted. Relative to other parenting texts, I felt it used its pages wisely and succinctly.

[Tionna Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great quick read for parents, educators, counselors or anyone who works with children. The big take away is recognizing your own triggers.

[Anastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple, short book that must be read by all parents and teachers.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was extremely helpful for tips and understanding what my child is going through. Shared it with her teacher.

[Ana Porumbaceanu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scurta, foarte pe înțelesul parintilor, usor de parcurs.

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for parents and anyone working with kids of all ages.

[Hannah Taylor-Loyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. There was some good information about the parts of brain that are overcome in the flood zone, but as far as strategies this book is lacking.

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was clear, concise, and to the point. Truly one of the best counseling/parenting books I’ve read in my professional and graduate career.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, easy to read book that I’m hoping will help me teach students how to regulate their emotions.

[Heather Greaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read. Easy to understand

[Stephanie Stough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Currently recommending this book to everyone I know. And it’s under 100 pages long so PLEASE read it.

[Brenda Zusriadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buku yang sangat bagus untuk memahami emosi yang ada di dalam diri kita dan anak - anak beserta cara menanganinya 😊😊