Category: Feelings and Emotions

  • Laughs and Chuckles

    Your Child Will Learn

    To communicate feelings of pleasure and delight

    Here’s What to Do

    1. Let’s discover games that make me laugh. Here are some ideas to try:
      • Nuzzling my tummy with your face
      • Playing ‘pat-a-cake’ with my hands or
    … Continue reading

  • Dramatic Play with Dolls

    Your Child Will Learn

    To act out my own feelings and practice conversations with dolls

    Here’s What to Do

    1. Gather dolls, action figures, puppets, and stuffed animals to play with. Help me find simple pretend or real props to use
    … Continue reading

  • Wait and Count

    Your Child Will Learn

    A strategy to use when they need to wait

    Here’s What to Do

    1. Invite your child to practice waiting.
    2. Give them a simple counting task to complete when you leave the room (like: counting red things
    … Continue reading

  • Mindful Breaths

    Your Child Will Learn

    Fun breathing techniques to help your child feel calm

    Here’s What to Do

    1. Practice a flower breath
      • Imagine smelling a beautiful flower: take a deep breath in
      • Imagine blowing away dandelion seeds: blow slowly out through
    … Continue reading

  • Tears and Tantrums

    Your Child Will Learn

    That you are there to help when they’re upset

    Here’s What to Do

    1. When your baby is crying, first reflect on how you are feeling. It is very common to feel stressed or anxious when your
    … Continue reading

  • Frustrated Freeze!

    Your Child Will Learn

    What it feels like to be frustrated and how to respond 

    Here’s What to Do

    1. Ask your child about frustration:
      • Ask if they know what “frustrated” means. 
      • Talk with them about how it makes their body
    … Continue reading

  • Naming My Feelings

    Your Child Will Learn

    How to identify the emotions they feel

    Here’s What to Do

    1. Ask your child to talk about different kinds of feelings they know about. Examples:
      • Happy
      • Sad
      • Scared
      • Mad
      • Surprised
      • Excited
      • Worried
      • Frustrated
    2. Invite your child
    … Continue reading

  • Uh Oh! It Was An Accident!

    Your Child Will Learn

    • How their actions affect others and how to apologize

    Here’s What to Do

    1. Talk with your child about what an accident means, and some examples of recent accidents (like: this morning I spilled the milk on
    … Continue reading

  • Caring and Helping

    Your Child Will Learn

    Ways to show kindness to others

    Here’s What to Do

    1. Play a game of pretend to practice showing kindness. First, ask your child to pretend they have a hurt foot, and show ways you can help
    … Continue reading

  • Belly Breathe

    Your Child Will Learn

    A breathing technique to help calm down before bedtime (or anytime!)

    Here’s What to Do

    1. At the end of your child’s bedtime routine, ask them to take a deep breath while lying down in their bed. 
    … Continue reading

  • Reset