How to help your child deal with big feelings (good or challenging ones!)
by Adina Levy
We need to move beyond simply labelling emotions with basic words
β “I’m happy”
β “You’re cranky”
βWe need to stop telling our kids their feelings are invalid
β “Cheer up!”
β “Don’t be upset”
We need to teach kids:
π’ All emotions are OK (not all responses to these emotions are, e.g. hitting others if you”re angry isn’t OK)
π’Emotions are complicated. We can feel multiple emotions at one time. “I’m excited AND nervous!”
π’We can feel emotions in different amounts. “I’m a little bit upset that you ate my cupcake without asking me”
What next? When your child understands more words and more nuance about emotions, they can start to understand things they can do to help themselves feel better. They’ll likely need your guidance at first. Just some ideas…
πΆ Sip of water
πΆ Cuddling a pet
π€ Hug with a parent
π¬ Slow breaths
π΄ Walk outside in nature
ππ½ββοΈ Running around, or jumping it out on the trampoline
Question: What helps your child feel calmer, better or happier? What helps YOU feel calmer, better or happier?
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