At NAMEE, we kids are the experts of most things. Our parents listen to our opinions and critiques. And that is really cool!
But even sometimes we (aka the experts) feel bad and confused. Then, our parents are the heroes and explain things to us. For example, sometimes we need help with our emotions. We feel plenty of them and when we feel something we don’t understand, our parents are there for us. That is actually how NAMEE’s emotions book “You Can Feel,” was born. In this emotions book, you’ll find 11 different feelings.
But for today, I want to tell you about the 4 bad guy emotions that bug me and my friends the most.
Sometimes, I feel anger (that one I really don’t like). This emotion comes to me really unexpectedly, and I don’t really always understand that this is it. When my mom sees me angry, she recognizes this emotion immediately. She helps me identify it and cope with it.
As my parents were talking, I heard them saying that identifying emotion and then explaining it to the child is very important. So that’s what my mommy does.
Usually the conversation goes like this:
Dora: I can’t believe you did that! I worked so hard to make the tallest block tower ever and you knock it over on purpose! That was mean! You are a bad friend! You’re not invited to my birthday party!
Mommy: Oh dear. I can see you are feeling angry at your friend. That must have really hurt your feelings when he knocked your tower over. You are right to feel angry, but we need to be careful with how we express those angry feelings. Try taking some deep breaths instead.
Other times, sadness comes to visit me. This emotion comes when I don’t get what I want, when grandma calls and says she is ill, or when someone says or does something bad.
When I feel sad, I usually cry, but not always. Sometimes I just want to be alone and not have to talk to anybody! My mom helps here a lot. She listens to me. This is really important because I want to be heard about my problem! Then, she gives me extra hugs, snuggles, or just lets me cry for a bit. And then a fantastic thing happens - suddenly, I feel better!
Sometimes, I feel afraid of things. When I feel this way, my mom listens to me and agrees with me. She lets me to talk, listens, and nods. For example, sometimes I feel scared to go to bed, because I think there is a monster under my bed! But then, my mom really calms me down. This is what she said last time I felt afraid.
Mom: What you are feeling is fear. It is a normal emotion that everyone feels from time to time, but you can rest easy because you know Mommy is near.
Sometimes, I feel jealous. I heard my parents saying that it may develop from a lack of trust and often leads to a sense of insecurity. I think it might be true. Because there are times when I really want things just for myself, and I don’t want to share them with anybody. I’m just afraid to lose them! But my mom is really smart! She explains the situation and really calms me down. Then, I can trust that I will still get my things back and share nicely.