Silly, Sad, Crabby, Cranky
Have you ever had one of those days where your mood seems to swing all over the place? One moment you are happy as a lark, and a few minutes later you angrier than you’ve ever been before. Sometimes, we adults forget that we are not the only ones who may experience this wild pendulum ride from time to time. And, even when our moods are not swinging wildly, they will likely fluctuate to some degree throughout the day.
As adults, we are expected to be able to control these feelings. Sometimes, however, this comes across as sounding as though you are not allowed to have any feelings other than being blissfully happy twenty-four hours a day. This simply isn’t true, and it would be naive to think it is possible. We need to let our children know that it is okay to have different feelings, and then we can teach them strategies to deal with them.
Jamie Lee Curtis has written a wonderful book that can help children realize that there are many more feelings than just happy and sad. In Today I Feel Silly, she also lets children know that it is okay experience a wide variety of feelings from day-to-day.
After reading the book with your child, have your child draw a face each day of the following week to express how she feels. Have her make a face for that emotion while looking in a mirror so that she can see what it looks like. Ask your child why she feels that way. Is she excited about a certain activity planned for that way? Is she disappointed in the weather? Maybe she is nervous about a trip to the dentist. Help your child identify her feelings and the reasons for them. Once she is able to do this on her own, you will be able to begin teaching her ways of reacting to her own feelings.
Digg Delicious Favorites Blogmarks Magnolia Google Newsvine Reddit Technorati
Written by BRWI Staff on April 15, 2010
Not Found
Sorry, but you are looking for something that is not here.
