The thing about emotions is that they happen.  Some feel good, like joy, contentment and calm.  Others are more difficult, like frustration, jealousy and sadness.  Caregivers work hard to protect their children from those difficult feelings and in the process take away a child's opportunity to build resiliency and become regulation experts.

Sadness, anger, frustration, worry. . . When your child shares an emotion or an emotional thought with you, usually they don't need you to fix it, they just need you to empathize and normalize the experience.  Often, you don't have to say anything, just be with your child.

Placating or distracting your child from the emotion with technology may work in the moment, but will not give them to tools they need to learn to self-regulate.

According to the results of the student counseling support survey, the top three challenges for our students are 

1. Executive functioning skills

2. Emotional regulation

3. Anxiety/worry

This is all developmentally appropriate.  School is a great place to practice resiliency.  Our emotions are a roller coaster and most students demonstrate an ability to handle them appropriately.  And, believe me, there are plenty of opportunities to practice regulation at school, with peer collaboration, figuring out where to sit or who to play with, agreeing on rules, following expectations, sensory experiences that may not always be pleasant.  Our children/students are resilient.  And yes, some kids have to work harder to get through their day, and the fact that they were capable should be celebrated!

Classroom counseling will focus on coping strategies and executive functioning skills.

Check out these resources

What does it mean to feel?  How emotions can work for us.

NPR: The Inside Out movies give kids and emotional vocabulary

Scientific American: Why negative emotions aren't all bad

Good reads for our "littles"

Helping Kids Recognize Emotions and Express Feelings: My Body Sends a Signal, by Natalia Maguire

When Sophie Get's Angry - Really, Really Angry. . . By Molly Bang

Yesterday I Had the Blues By Jeron Ashford Frame

Jabari Jumps By Gaia Cornwall

Sometimes I'm Bombaloo By Rachel Vail

Good reads for our "bigs"

Me and My Feelings: A Kids' Guide to Understanding and Expressing Themselves By Vanessa Green Allen

American Girl, The Care and Keeping of You 1: The Body Book for Younger Girls

American Girl, The Care and Keeping of You 2: The Body Book for Older Girls

Guy Stuff, The Body Book for Boys By Cara Natterson