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— Make Time to Listen; Take Time to Talk
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Make Time to Listen…Take Time to Talk about Feelings
Children who are allowed to experience their feelings, and who
are helped by their parents to identify and learn from those feelings,
are gaining skills to deal with life in a responsible way. Feelings
in children that are suppressed, don't disappear - but they may
reveal themselves in a wide variety of misbehaviors. Did you know
that the act of naming an emotion can quiet your child's nervous
system and help him recover faster from emotional stress? Use the
following tips to help your child identify and label emotions:
- Start identifying emotions together early - you can begin even before your child learns to talk.
- Refrain from telling your child what he ought to feel. Instead, try to identify the emotions he is feeling.
- Name your own emotions. Children learn by watching and copying what adults do.
- Find creative outlets for emotions like drawing, singing, dancing, or exercising.
- Use one of the books below to start a conversation with your child about moods and feelings. Can you think of a time when you had a strong emotion? What happened as a result? Did you talk things over with a friend? Did you cry? Ask your child what makes her happy, sad, scared, etc.
READ MORE - related books
My Many Colored Days, by Dr. Seuss
The Way I Feel, by Janan Cain
Today I Feel Silly, by Jamie Lee Curtis
When Sophie Gets Angry, by Molly Bang
