4 Easy Ways to Start Helping Kids Understand Their Feelings

Let’s help our kids become curious about what they are feeling.

When we ask our kids to stop and think about what emotion they are feeling, it’s a good opportunity for them to become curious about what led them there. I’m always asking my kids to be a detective, whether it’s with finding something they’re looking for or looking for clues as to why they are angry, upset, sad, etc.

When a child realizes they can pinpoint the moment leading to their emotion, it may not change the feeling (mad/sad/jealous), but it will give them the emotional intelligence to say, “I started feeling upset when my friend said they wouldn’t play with me any more today. It made me feel sad.” Or “My teacher thought I broke a toy at school today, but I didn’t. I feel upset that she didn’t believe me.”

Stretching that emotional intelligence muscle will help them as they mature and start them on the path to becoming a lifelong learner of their own – and other people’s – emotions and behavior.