USING YOUR WORDS: HELP YOUR CHILD FOSTER EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
It is often the case that parents seek guidance and support from professionals in order to help their children manage daily peer-based conflicts and emotional hurdles – You know, those moments when telling your toddler to “use your words” just doesn't seem to be enough. Lucky for parents, practicing what you preach may be one of the easiest ways to facilitate emotional development and interpersonal sensitivity in children. The more parents talk and “use their words” about specific emotions, the better an understanding their child will have about the meaning and social consequences of their own feelings and behaviors.
“Using your words” about emotions goes beyond labeling them as they’re happening. Sure, it’s valuable to say “you look really mad” as your toddler hurls his legos at you when it’s bed-time, but it’s likely just as valuable to illustrate emotional states when children are calm, attentive and engaged… you guessed it …Story Time!
Reading picture books about emotions provides opportunities to discuss expose children to a range of emotional vocabulary. It allows for sharing of personal experiences, like that time you got so “frustrated” you ripped your homework. It also allows for fun commenting on illustrations of emotional states, like how “silly” that dog looked walking upside-down! Talking about different emotions and relating them to your personal life gives children an opportunity to understand and practice “using their words” in a reinforcing and positive way, increasing the likelihood that when it comes time to put “using those words” into practice, they’ll be better equipped.
Some Great Books To Help Foster Emotional Development:
The Way I feel By Janan Cain
When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry…By Molly Bang
You’ve Got Dragons By Kathryn Cave
I Was So Mad By Mercer Mayer
Glad Monster, Sad Monster By Ed Emberly
On Monday When it Rained By Cherryl Kachenmeister
I Just don’t Like the Sound of NO! By Julia Cook
Is a Worry Worrying You? By Ferida Wolff
What are you so Grumpy About? By Tom Lichtenheld
One of Those Days By Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Llama Llama and the Bully Goat By Anna Dewdney
The Bad Mood By Moritz Petz
Ira Sleeps Over By Bernard Waber
Do Animals Have Feelings too? By David Rice
Not Norman - A Goldfish Story By Kelly Bennett
Go Away, Dog By Joan L. Nodset
The Boy with Big, Big Feelings By Britney Winn Lee
Sometimes I’m a Bombaloo by Rachel Vail