10/5/23 blog post
teaching kids about emotions is good for mental health
Everyone has emotions but children need help learning the words for their emotions and how to handle them. Teaching children to notice emotions is one of the first steps in helping them develop coping skills. It’s good for a child’s mental health to understand and manage feelings. It also helps their decision-making process.
Having the skills to handle their strong emotions, controlling their behavior and making good choices is called emotion regulation. Emotion regulation is tied to:
- Academic achievement
- Ability to focus
- Higher social skills
- Improved resilience
Here are four ways to teach kids about emotions:
- Name them! Help kids learn to label their feelings by saying yours out loud. You can also use this emotional empowerment worksheet to discuss emotions and what they may look like to your child.
- Notice them. As kids grow in their understanding of feelings words, they can start to notice how emotions feel in their body
- Express them appropriately. Praise children who are using feelings words and validate their feelings.
- Teach them how to handle big emotions. Sometimes children’s feelings can seem explosive. There are skills like deep breathing and meditation that you can work on with children to help them calm down.
It’s never too early or too late to start teaching about emotions. And these skills won’t just help them now but for years to come.
Explore more about emotional empowerment by reading our previous blog.
join the movement
We believe that no family should struggle alone in their journey with mental health. That's why we created the On Our Sleeves e-community. If you haven't already become a part of our community, click the button below to start! You'll be signed up to start receiving monthly free content and resources to help you support the mental wellness of children in your life and break the stigma surrounding mental health. You'll also be the first to know about special giveaways like our Activity Book and Conversation Starter Cards.
