Children have big emotions. In order to help them to learn to regulate their emotions, we must:
1) Let them feel them! If we keep telling them to stop, they’ll never learn how to control their feelings on their own.
2) Give each feeling a name. When you label the feeling out loud, children begin to understand and claim what they’re feeling.
3)Teach strategies to calm, such as taking 3 deep breaths, counting to 10, asking for help, etc.
It helps to practice these strategies while your child is not in full-blown upset. If you’re looking for a little support while encouraging your preschooler to cooperate, this adorable book will help. Reading REX WRECKS IT! by Ben Clanton is a wonderful way to begin a discussion on feelings and choices and how our behavior affects others.