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Toddlers experience a whirlwind of emotions, which can sometimes be challenging for parents to understand. Especially when a toddler throws a tantrum over something as simple as a grilled cheese being cut the wrong way. This emotional intensity is normal at this stage, but how can a parent understand? How can a parent support the child?
Many experts suggest that by using a feelings chart, which visually depicts the emotions, a child can learn to identify and express their emotions. This helps them process the way they are feeling, without throwing a tantrum. When a child is overwhelmed with big feelings, they can go to the chart and point to a picture or colour to communicate how they feel. Most charts include primary emotions like joy, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust.
Kids can actually label emotions around the age of 3. This could be the perfect time to get your child an emotion chart. Find an emotion chart which has a realistic depiction of emotions and does not promote any unrealistic or discriminatory images. Before giving it to your child, test it yourself.
An example could be when you feel a range of emotions, you can use the chart to point out and give names to your emotions. If the chart gets that emotion right, then it has passed its test.
A real-life situation could be when your child wakes up and throws a tantrum to get ready for school. You can ask your child to point out on the chart what best describes his feelings and why is he acting the way he is. This will help him express himself, as sometimes children might find it embarrassing to talk about it. Pointing towards an emotion could therefore make it easier for them to express.
Once, this is done, you can then talk about it and start a conversation about why your child is feeling certain emotions. With emotion chart, you can also get a coping skill chart, which will guide your child to cope with certain emotions in a certain way.
Your child could be throwing a tantrum and the chart could be helping you understand his emotions. But it can help you too! As a parent, you will be feeling a lot of things in a day too, going through stress, and managing your personal life, professional life and your child's life. There may be a whole spectrum of emotions you would feel. This is when a chart can come in handy to you. It can help you recognise the emotions you are feeling and then address them correctly.
When kids see adults processing their emotions, they learn too. Most of the learning happens through imitating and observing the way their parents act.