Sometimes we are down.
That's life. If we didn't experience different emotions, we would be incredibly boring.
C, R, and I have spent quite a bit of time discussing emotions and how we should respond to our own emotions and the emotions of others.
There are many great books on this topic, but two of our favorites are When Sophie Gets Angry -- Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang and 
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. Both books provide a great opportunity to discuss how the characters were feeling and what they did about their feelings. I also think the characters experience things that are easy for my children to relate to.I know that many people are bothered by the fact that Sophie (the main character in the Molly Bang book) runs out the door. I have read the complaint that this teaches children to run away when they are angry, and I disagree. Sophie is not running away, she is simply running. We all need outlets to deal with different emotions, and running is a great way to calm down. If your child needs to run off his or her anger, what is wrong with that? Like everything else our children do, we as parents are surely capable of placing limits on where they may or may not run. Problem solved.
C, R and I worked together to make a list of things to do when we are feeling angry or sad or even happy. We also spent some time role playing different situations. C and R have so much fun role playing. They also love to do book dramatizations. Do you teach your children to deal with anger (or any emotions) in a specific way?
8 comments:
I love this post, how you've explained things and these books too!
Can you come here and discuss emotions with me right now too:-)--you seem to be pretty good at it:-).
I absolutely love that Sophie book! I have my own copy from when I worked w. kids, one young girl in particular was why I bought it, and now I try to read it to my little girl, as well. GREAT post!
This post almost seems like an answer to the question that I asked yesterday. I admit that I am almost afraid to read books to Anna where characters behave inappropriately when frustrated. One series, however, that I really liked is Llama Llama. We talk about appropriate ways to deal with anger, frustration or disappointment - doing something physical, listening to a good music, drawing, but I think that Anna is a little too young still to manage her emotions. Nevertheless, I keep trying, since I believe it's crucial to be able to manage that roller coaster gracefully and without damage to yourself or others.
LOL at Susana's comment.
I don't like the Sophie book. I remember reading it several years ago when I was in school for Early Childhood Education. I don't like that she runs away out of the house. Some kids take things so literally and think that might be ok. Of course, you could always discuss how that wasn't safe for her to do.
I agree with you about the Sophie character. It's okay to run! And she comes back on her own, which is a key point.
Great topic! I look forward to reading the responses as we will be able to talk more in depth (beyond toddler speak) with our oldest soon.
These are two of our favorite emotion themed books too. Teaching kids how to deal with their emotions is such a powerful life skill. I used to babysit for a little girl and whenever she got angry, she would go up to her room, scream into her pillow, and then come back down as though nothing had happened! I had such a hard time keeping a straight face.
I love that Alexander Book and I am DEFINITELY going to look into the other!
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