The Turtle Technique: A Method For Self-control In Children

The turtle technique is used a lot with younger children. The goal of this technique is to help them master their impulsiveness and work on their self-control.

An example would be that of that child who is in the supermarket with one of his parents and asks them to buy him a piece of candy. When they respond with a negative, the little one begins to scream, scream, kick and even throw himself to the ground. What’s your objective? Achieve what he asked for by putting one of his parents to shame.

Thanks to the turtle technique, it is possible that the child accepts a negative answer and that, although he gets angry, he does not act as in the example indicated.

The Manolita turtle technique

Consultation professionals usually begin by telling children a story that has a tortoise named Manolita as the main character. Thanks to it, the little ones are able to work on their self-control.

The story is as follows and we are going to tell it as a professional would with a child:

We are going to talk about a little turtle named Manolita who gets into a lot of trouble. When he’s at school and the exercises don’t go well, he breaks them. When the teacher scolds him, he gets angry. If she is accidentally pushed in the yard, she kicks the culprit.

When Manolita behaves like this, she doesn’t feel good. After breaking homework or kicking another little turtle, he feels very bad, very sad. He thinks he could have done better but, at the moment, his anger didn’t let him think much.

One day, Manolita, saddened by the consequences of what she had done – her teacher did not let her go to recess for misbehaving -, met a turtle much older than her, a very wise turtle. This one told him:

– Manolita, don’t you realize that the solution to your problems lies in your shell? When you feel that you are getting very angry, get into your shell and count to ten.

Little Manolita thought about this and decided to put it into practice the next time something happened to her. Thus, when she was accidentally pushed at recess, she would get inside her shell, count to ten, and when she went out, she no longer felt like kicking anyone back. It was fantastic!

The teacher was very happy. Manolita no longer broke her duties and it seemed that her relationship with her classmates had improved. The older tortoise technique was the best advice he had ever been given.

Effects on self-esteem and self-esteem

The story is very simple and allows the little ones to identify with the little turtle. In addition, reminding them of this story will serve to refresh them about the situation that the turtle lived and that made it very unhappy and unhappy.

However, in addition to being able to have greater self-control, children benefit in many other ways from the turtle technique:

• They control their own emotions. In this way, they recognize their limits, what makes them explode and helps them evaluate their consequences.
• They stop seeing themselves as “bad children” who only receive fights and recriminations that fuel this behavior. They realize that they are not.
• They see that they make mistakes, but they can solve them and change what they have done to feel better.
• They experience more mature feelings, since it is they themselves who regulate their emotions and who control themselves. Nobody does it for them.

On the turtle technique

The turtle technique can be carried out in schools, not just in sessions with a therapist. Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) respond very well to it. And this is evidenced by this information published in the book Psychological problems in childhood . It is also recommended that parents put it into practice at home.

Likewise, helping the little ones to self-control will avoid many behavior problems that tend to become more acute in adolescence, as the same information just mentioned points out.

So, and finally, in the following video you can see another example of the turtle technique, much more visual and suitable for children. We hope you like it and you put it into practice with your children. They will love it!