Helping Kids Navigate Emotions

Little Feet Community

You are in the supermarket when your two-year old has a meltdown and all eyes are on you, what do you do? Healthy emotional intelligence contributes to resilience, social connection, and empathy. Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Play Therapist Rebecca Lewis speaks with host Patty O’Connor about ways to support little children in managing big feelings.

Little Feet Community is an online resource for parents, caregivers and educators seeking to support healthy growth in young children.

Here are some of the takeaways we discussed in our episode.

• Be mindful of the stage of development your child is in, and consider that while
• managing them.
• Use active and reflective listening techniques, using phrases like “I see” and “I
• wonder.”
• Voice modulation: if you are an adult, think about the tone of your voice.
• Sometimes, parents offer a choice when there isn’t one. If no option exists, avoid
• the impulse to add “okay?” at the end—this might imply that dialogue is possibly
• an option.
• Be consistent.
• Set a good example with personal self-care.
• Reading books together can facilitate conversation between you and your child, here are some book recommendations:
• When Sophie Gets Angry
• Pip's Magic
• Ruby Finds A Worry
• The Rabbit Listened
• Create a coping “toolkit” of strategies - i.e., deep breathing, blowing bubbles,
• fidgets. Find what works for your child. For example, drinking through a straw can
• calm some kids down. For more active kids try wall push-ups.
• There are no “bad” emotions.
• When a child is in an emotionally dysregulated state, don’t attempt to reason with
• them.
• Use play scenarios to help kids work out issues.
• Have a feelings poster.
• Reflect with your child on what happened afterward – when they are calmer.