HEALTHY FAMILY
All the Feels
30 WashingtonFAMILY JANUARY 2021
W BY JAN PIERCE, M.ED.

e’ve all been there. Your
3-year-old has a meltdown
in the middle of the grocery
check-out line or you become beyond
exasperated when your eldest
clobbers your youngest
for no apparent reason.

Feelings. They
push us to our
limits. They’re big
and, at times, seem
to come out of
nowhere. We have
difficulty managing
our own emotions, so
it’s easy to understand when our children
have the same problem.

Explore some strategies to help your
children first identify their feelings
and learn to manage them in
acceptable ways.

Name the
emotions It can be hard for young
children to understand
what happens when
they explode with
emotions. They may
not have the language to
FACES: PROSTOCK-STUDIO; SOPHIE WALSTER, MELODY A/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS
Wise parents create
teachable moments
throughout the
day. They notice
behaviors and give
praise when good
things happen.

Helping Children Identify and
Manage Their Emotions