emotions Archives | Sleeping Should Be Easy

5 Coping Skills for Kids to Help Manage Big Emotions

Jan 30, 2021

Does your child struggle with handling difficult emotions? Learn 5 coping skills for kids to manage these big feelings on their own. By Amy Wruble My 7-year-old came home from summer camp in a horrible mood. She called me names, kicked her little sister for no reason, and stomped around yelling for a solid 20 minutes. Since she doesn’t normally act this way, I figured something must have happened to upset her, but it took a while to unravel the details. It turned out she’d taken a scary tumble, gotten hurt, and felt embarrassed. The physical plus emotional pain was enough to shake … [Read more...]

How to Help Your Angry Child

Behavior

Dec 27, 2020

Dealing with meltdowns can be difficult, but it's during these times your angry child NEEDS you. Here are strategies to help you handle it. My kids had been so excited to work on the school garden. You couldn't peel them away from digging and turning the soil. Other than the occasional snack, they wanted to keep shoveling and pulling weeds. And then it happened: One of them didn't want to leave. Whereas the other two were ready to go home, he wanted to stay and dig. So, my husband and I did the typical moves: we showed empathy and tried to make the transition light. We even gave him … [Read more...]

Children’s Books about Anger

Children's Books

Dec 23, 2020

Need ways to calm your angry child down? This collection of children's books about anger helps kids manage and understand these big feelings. It's that moment when you realize this is far more than just a tantrum or mere stubbornness. And after three kids, I've seen the face of true anger, especially when it comes out of nowhere. It might've been when I said it was time to leave the school garden, only for them to kick and scream in the van the entire ride home. Or when one of my kids yelled at the top of his lungs, his face in anguish because I told him it was time to take a … [Read more...]

9 Useful Techniques for Dealing with Anxiety in Children

Development

Nov 25, 2020

Worried about your anxious child? Learn useful techniques to ease anxiety in children you can apply immediately at home. Anxiety. I tell myself everyone deals with the emotion to varying degrees, including my kids. Handling anxiety in children can be a challenge because they're still learning how to cope with difficult emotions. Anxiety can happen any time, but common culprits include a change of plans. Your child might throw a fit because you have to leave the playground sooner than expected. A new environment and meeting new people can also trigger his anxiety and send him clinging … [Read more...]

Children’s Books about Feelings

Children's Books

Nov 18, 2020

Feelings can overwhelm kids, especially difficult ones to process. Read these children's books about feelings to help your child cope. Many of the challenges with our kids stem from their inability to process feelings the way you and I can. The tightening of the chest and the awful, cloudy feeling are difficult to understand. They can't figure out why they feel the way they do now that the new baby is here. They might even believe they're the only ones who feel this way, or that they're somehow "bad" for doing so. And so, they act up or hit instead of communicate because these … [Read more...]

Little Ways You’re Actually Judging Your Child’s Emotions

Behavior

Sep 16, 2020

Do you act different when your child is throwing a fit than when he is happy and excited? Avoid the mistake of judging your child's emotions. Do you love your kids unconditionally? I thought I did. After all, I love mine regardless of the choices they'll make and celebrate who they are, in spite of their differences and similarities with me. And I say this not lightly, but truthfully: I would give my life for them. Isn't that unconditional love? I thought so. But then I realized my kids may not see it that way. And it all started with the movie Frozen... Like any silly parent … [Read more...]

Unique Ways to Meet the Emotional Needs of Your Child

Development

Sep 08, 2020

Meeting the emotional needs of a child raises well-rounded, competent, and capable kids. Discover 7 unique ways to nurture your child's emotional needs. Fewer tantrums, more listening, getting along with others... every parent wants nearly the same things from their kids, things we think are rooted in their behavior. Want less tantrums? Put your foot down. And while these tips and tricks are the actions we take to course-correct, they stem from a deeper reason why kids behave that way in the first place. For instance, why do they throw tantrums? More importantly, why is it that showing … [Read more...]

Why You Shouldn’t Tell Your Child to Stop Crying

Communication

Sep 03, 2020

Hearing kids cry and whine can feel frustrating, but we also shouldn't tell them to stop crying. Take a look at a few compelling reasons why. I'll admit: I've told my kids to stop crying pretty often. They could've been crying for 30 minutes straight before I snapped and said, "Stop crying already!" I've sent them to their rooms, telling them they can come out when they're finished. And I've also held them in my arms after a scraped knee, reassuring them with a mantra of "Don't cry, don't cry..." I'm certain I'm not alone. It's amazing how many times we tell our kids to stop crying … [Read more...]

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