Feelings
What is it?
The ability to identify personal feelings, recognize the feelings of others, and understand that feelings are not permanent, but change throughout the day.
Why is it important?
The ability to manage how you feel is a necessary lifelong skill for all social interactions.
School Connection
Your child will be learning how to identify feelings and understand that their feelings come and go.
How to Support Your Child at Home
Feelings Scavenger Hunt
Children experience many intense emotions, and often! Think about a time when your child had a very big feeling. This may have been a meltdown when you dropped them off at school or when they couldn’t eat the snack they wanted.
Were they able to express what they were feeling at that moment? Probably not. Young children usually don’t have the vocabulary to express how they are feeling, and instead communicate in other ways such as crying or throwing a tantrum. A way we can provide support is by helping them identify and validate their feelings.
While reading picture books or watching TV with your child, intentionally identify feelings in the characters. Point out their facial expressions and ask questions to expand their thinking.
- Can you see her eyebrows pointing downward and her hands on her hips?
- How do you think she may be feeling right now?
- How do you know?
- It looks like she is mad. I wonder what made her so upset?
Identifying emotions in this way helps kids discuss feelings by focusing on a character as well as develop the vocabulary to identify the same emotion when they are experiencing the same feeling.
