Talking to young children about feelings
Sunday, October 03, 2010
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Cathy Cassani Adams
know your feelings....
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You know it's important to talk about feelings with your young children, but you need some help getting started. Here are a few simple ideas to get the ball rolling…
Books:
Incredible You/Unstoppable Me - Wayne Dyer
Through typical childhood scenarios, these books offer a way to view people and experiences in a more positive light, to see that you have a choice in every situation. It's not about the feeling, it's what you choose to do with the feeling.
My Many Colored Days - Dr. Seuss
In this book feelings are matched to colors, and moving in and out and different emotions is normalized. The rhymes are light and fun, and it offers a perfect opportunity to ask questions like, "What makes you feel red?"
Today I Feel Silly and Other Moods that Make My Day - Jamie Lee Curtis
In this book you follow a little girl through 13 different moods and realize how normal it is to bounce from feeling to feeling throughout a day.
Games:
Wild Ride to the Heart
This game was sent to me to review, and I am happy to report that my kids loved it! It's simple, not too long, and you get to act out feelings and tell emotional stories. Click here to view the game.
Feelings Magnets
Magnet boards make it easy to identify feelings by placing a cut-out box over a "feeling face". Easy way to let everyone know your mood!
Movies:
It doesn't matter which movie you choose, just be sure to have a discussion about how the characters feel. Watching movies together is a perfect way to discuss feelings without getting too personal.
For example:
"How do you think he felt when that happened?"
"How do you think she was feeling when she said that?"
"How would you feel if that happened to you?"
Any ideas from your house? Feel free to comment!
Cathy Adams is a certified parenting coach, yoga instructor and mother to three girls.
See more of Cathy's stories here.
Contact Cathy at cathycadams@sbcglobal.com
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Helpful game
By A mom on Tuesday, November 13, 2012
I am going through a divorce and am concerned about my 7- and 6-year-old children bottling up their feelings. We tried the Wild Ride to the Heart game to see if it might help them express themselves. I cannot believe the way the kids opened up. I learned so much about them and their feelings, not just about the divorce but also about other emotions they've experienced. For example, I learned about a fear of my daughter's that I had not known about previously. And it was amazing to hear my son describe how he felt courage when he tried something new. Best of all was that they were able to articulate that they feel happy when we are all together, including their dad, and that they feel sad when they're away from me. It allowed us to talk about issues and feelings that they'd been avoiding. I highly recommend this game!