Key terms and defintions
In this definitions list, we’ll go over some important words and ideas you’ll need to know. Getting familiar with these will help you learn better and make things clearer as we go along.
Let’s start this journey together and build a strong base for your knowledge!
This page is still in development - as you can see for the prototype the goal is to link words in courses to this page for further information. Please add additional words into the feedback survey.
A
Anger
Example of Anger
Anger is an emotional response characterised by feelings of frustration, irritation, or hostility. It often arises when a person perceives a threat, injustice, or violation of their expectations or rights. Physiologically, it can trigger a fight-or-flight response, leading to increased heart rate and adrenaline. While anger can motivate assertive action or change, if not managed properly, it can lead to conflict and negative consequences.
Anxious Attachment
An attachment style characterised by a fear of abandonment and insecurity in relationships.
Anxiety
A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.
Attachment Parenting
A parenting philosophy that proposes methods which aim to promote the attachment of parent and infant.
Authoritarian Parenting
A parenting style characterised by high demands and low responsiveness.
Authoritative Parenting
A parenting style characterised by high responsiveness and high demands.
Avoidant Attachment
An attachment style where individuals maintain emotional distance from others.
B
Blended Family
A family formed by merging two previously separated units into a single household, often involving step-siblings and step-parents.
Blushing
Developing a pink tinge in the face from embarrassment or shame.
Bonus Family
A family created by the parents living together, married or unmarried, not necessarily related by blood, who have made a formal commitment to care and support each other throughout life
C
Co-parenting
A situation where two parents work together to raise a child even though they are no longer romantically involved.
Co-regulation
Example of Co-regulation Imagine a child is upset because they can’t solve a puzzle. They start to cry and feel frustrated. As a parent or caregiver, you can practice co-regulation by: Staying Calm: First, take a deep breath and stay calm yourself. Your calmness can help the child feel more secure. Acknowledging Feelings: Get down to the child’s level, make eye contact, and say, “I see you’re feeling really frustrated right now. It’s okay to feel that way.” Offering Support: Gently guide the child through a calming activity, like taking deep breaths together or counting to ten. Problem-Solving Together: Once the child is calmer, you can help them approach the puzzle again, offering encouragement and support as they try to solve it. This process not only helps the child manage their immediate emotions but also teaches them valuable self-regulation skills for the future12.
Co-regulation is a process where two or more people interact to help each other manage and regulate their emotions. It involves providing support, understanding, and empathy to help someone else calm down and handle their feelings more effectively12.
Crying
Shedding tears as a response to an emotional state, such as sadness, frustration, or even joy.
Cyberbullying
in Cyber Safety
The use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature.
D
Disorganised Attachment
An attachment style marked by a lack of clear attachment behavior, often due to trauma or inconsistent caregiving.
E
Empathy
The ability to understand and share the feelings of another person.
Emotion coaching
Example of Emotion Coaching Imagine a child is upset because they can’t solve a puzzle. They start to cry and feel frustrated. As a parent or caregiver, you can practice co-regulation by: Staying Calm: First, take a deep breath and stay calm yourself. Your calmness can help the child feel more secure. Acknowledging Feelings: Get down to the child’s level, make eye contact, and say, “I see you’re feeling really frustrated right now. It’s okay to feel that way.” Offering Support: Gently guide the child through a calming activity, like taking deep breaths together or counting to ten. Problem-Solving Together: Once the child is calmer, you can help them approach the puzzle again, offering encouragement and support as they try to solve it. This process not only helps the child manage their immediate emotions but also teaches them valuable self-regulation skills for the future12.
Emotion coaching is a parenting or caregiving approach that helps children understand and manage their emotions. It involves recognising a child's feelings, validating those emotions, and guiding them in expressing and regulating their feelings in healthy ways.
The process typically includes five key steps:
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Awareness: Recognising the child's emotions.
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Validation: Acknowledging that the feelings are legitimate.
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Listening: Actively engaging with the child to understand their perspective.
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Guidance: Helping the child learn how to cope with and express their emotions appropriately.
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Problem-solving: Encouraging the child to find solutions to issues that may be causing emotional distress.
Emotion coaching fosters emotional intelligence, resilience, and better communication skills, ultimately leading to healthier relationships.
Extended Family
A family that extends beyond the nuclear family, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives.
F
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Fear: An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that something is dangerous.
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Freezing: Becoming immobile or unable to act due to fear or shock.
G
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Gratitude: Being thankful and showing appreciation.
H
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Happiness: A state of well-being and contentment.
L
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Laughing: Making sounds and movements that show amusement.
M
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Malware: Harmful software designed to damage or exploit computer systems.
N
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Nuclear Family: A family unit with two parents and their children.
P
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Permissive Parenting: A parenting style with low demands and high responsiveness.
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Phishing: A cyber attack that tricks people into revealing personal information.
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Physical Touch: Using touch to show love and affection.
Q
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Quality Time: Spending undivided attention with someone to show love.
R
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Receiving Gifts: Giving and receiving items to show love.
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Resilience: The ability to recover quickly from difficulties.
S
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Sadness: A feeling of sorrow or unhappiness.
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Secure Attachment: Feeling confident and secure in relationships.
T
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Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): An extra layer of security to ensure the right person is accessing an account.
W
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Words of Affirmation: Expressing love through spoken words, praise, or appreciation.
N
Neurodiverse
Neurodiversity
Neurodiversity is a concept that recognizes and celebrates the natural variations in human brain function and behavior. It suggests that neurological differences, such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and others, are simply variations of the human brain rather than deficits or disorders