cheryl
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Staff member
Dropping anchor on big emotions- Harvard Health
Big emotions can be scary. Anxiety, sadness, anger, and many other strong emotions can quickly engage the body’s fight-or-flight mechanism. That’s true for adults, and certainly true for children who are just learning about their emotions and how to manage them. Now that school is back in session, spillovers of big emotions at school and at home may occur. Though every situation, family, and child differs, here are a few evidence-based tips for parents to help children and teens navigate big emotions.
Talk about emotions
First, it’s helpful to remember that emotions are normal. We all feel them — from the pleasant to the stressful. Children benefit when parents talk about emotions because this helps to normalize feelings and let them know that it’s okay to talk about them with you. Regular conversations also help build children’s emotional competence and self-regulation skills. This can be as easy as labeling your own emotions when they arise, connecting emotional labels with specific body cues, and discussing coping strategies that could help. For example, you might tell your child, "When I feel worried, I notice my muscles and my voice shake. I find trying paced breathing and a grounding activity helps me feel better. Would you want to practice with me?"
Big emotions can be scary. Anxiety, sadness, anger, and many other strong emotions can quickly engage the body’s fight-or-flight mechanism. That’s true for adults, and certainly true for children who are just learning about their emotions and how to manage them. Now that school is back in session, spillovers of big emotions at school and at home may occur. Though every situation, family, and child differs, here are a few evidence-based tips for parents to help children and teens navigate big emotions.
Talk about emotions
First, it’s helpful to remember that emotions are normal. We all feel them — from the pleasant to the stressful. Children benefit when parents talk about emotions because this helps to normalize feelings and let them know that it’s okay to talk about them with you. Regular conversations also help build children’s emotional competence and self-regulation skills. This can be as easy as labeling your own emotions when they arise, connecting emotional labels with specific body cues, and discussing coping strategies that could help. For example, you might tell your child, "When I feel worried, I notice my muscles and my voice shake. I find trying paced breathing and a grounding activity helps me feel better. Would you want to practice with me?"