Am I posting about feelings AGAIN? Yes. Yes, I am.
The reason for this is that being able to recognize, identify and name emotions is a very early step in being able to manage big feelings.
Adults, think about this: ALL behavior (whether " good" expected or " bad " unexpected starts with emotions/feelings.
There is a direct connection between our thoughts & feelings, and our behavior. So now that you know this, you can understand how important it is to help our children gain skills in this area. The best way to teach this is to model, talk about, and use the language every day.
If you are not sure how, please contact me for more ideas!
For fun: Try this... print this page and help to pair facial expressions with feelings, or use your computer's "draw/paint" tools to save paper.
Grown-ups: model how to do this as needed, and also to show your child that this is a tool they can put in their toolbox. If this is a tool you want to use frequently, think about printing the sheet and placing it in a sheet protector, and use dry-erase markers.
For a challenge:
~Try to guess each other's feelings based upon the drawn expressions
~Try to copy the face you see on the page with your own
~Ask children to look for clues to a person's feelings (e.g.: smile/frown, angry eyebrows, surprised/scared eyes, etc.)
Here is my "The Way I Feel" page for today:
