Children aren’t born knowing how to manage their emotions. They don’t always know that their emotions are normal. It is our responsibility as parents to teach them this skill. Here are a few tips.
- When your child is displaying an emotion, name the emotion and remind them that it’s normal to feel that way.
- When they are calm, practice scenarios that represent each emotion and appropriate ways to manage such as self talk or talking to an adult.
- Model strategies to manage emotions. This can look like naming your emotions when they come and talking to your child about what you would like to do vs. what you will do to manage the emotion. Example: “I feel mad. I would like to yell and scream but instead I’m going to listen to a song that makes me happy or I’m going to go take a bubble bath by myself.” Give children the words to help them express how they are feeling. Example: “I feel mad when _________.”
- Model remorseful behavior such as saying you are sorry when you make a mistake. Kids don’t always understand what “sorry” means when they are forced to say it. Instead, have children ask “How can I help you?” or “How can I make it better?” when an accident happens.