Teaching Your Child to Manage their Emotions

When children display overly emotional behaviour, it’s usually because they don’t yet have the skills to express themselves in a more sophisticated manner. It might also be because of how they perceive themselves and how they think others will perceive them. For instance, if they have a strop because they’re losing a game, it might be because they are embarrassed and feel like they’re not good enough. If they cry because they’ve broken a glass, it might be because they are worried that they’ll get into trouble. The good news is, parents can help teach their children various skills to overcome these emotional setbacks, as discussed below by an independent nursery in Birmingham.

Talk About Emotions
Try and help your child understand what certain emotions are called so that they can talk about it, rather than lashing out. Returning to the previous example, if they are struggling with a game, you can say something like “I can see that you are starting to get frustrated”. As a result, you can then teach them what to do to overcome this emotion, like “Why don’t you take a break, and we can come back to the game later?”. It will help if you talk about your own emotions too, so that they understand that it’s perfectly okay to share your feelings and talk about them in a calm way rather than having a tantrum.

Boost their Confidence
If your child feels confident in their own abilities, they will likely feel more optimistic about overcoming challenging situations rather than feeling like it’s the end of the world. With that said, try and be positive and supportive no matter what. For instance, if they don’t get the grades they were hoping for in a recent exam, try not to be hard on them. Instead, tell them that you are proud of them for trying their best and that they will be able to learn from their mistakes and try again next time. Point out their positive attributes and help them embrace failure rather than worry about it. Doing so will help their self-esteem.

Try to Anticipate Emotional Outbursts
As a parent, you will know what makes your child tick and what winds them up. Try and pre-empt situations that might cause them to have an emotional outburst so that you can prepare them ahead of time. For example, you could say something like “Last time you did your maths homework you got upset, so let’s try to stay calm this time and if it becomes hard, I can come and help you”.

Most importantly, you need to try and remain patient and calm, as it will take some time for your child to gain emotional maturity.

*Collaborative post