Mom! I am sad!
Dad! I am angry!

If you have also heard these from your child…then CONGRATULATIONS!

Instead of rushing to negate or eliminate the sadness or anger…take pride in the fact that your child is in touch with his/her emotions and expressing them.

When my 6yr old tells me something like that…I feel proud…of him and myself! The day when my son told me he was sad, was a proof of how effective teaching feelings can be. It showed that he had learnt to identify his feelings and was comfortable expressing them.

Not all of us grew up with parents who openly talked about and welcomed conversations around feelings. But we can change that with our own kids so that they know they can always bring up what’s on their minds.

Talk to your kids about various feelings…pleasant and unpleasant. Help them label their emotions and encourage them to express them.

Talking about their feelings gives them a different way of responding when things don’t feel right. Rather than throwing a fit, they are better able to grasp how they feel and communicate it.

Kids will have their tantrums and outbursts because they experience emotions which are beyond their understanding…by helping them identify their emotions, you can empower them to manage their feelings effectively and enhance their emotional resilience.

Teaching kids about emotions isn’t an overnight project…and it will take time to show results…and who knows – one day..you might also feel proud of him/her for saying “I am sad”..