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At times, it can be tremendously hard for parents to have calm emotions when dealing with their preschooler who is expressing strong emotions! It can be just as stressful to think about having to teach your preschooler how to develop and express calmer emotions.
This topic was not necessarily dealt with, head-on, in many circles when the parents of preschoolers were young. Thankfully, there are many resources that now speak to this topic. One website, socialthinking.com, has multiple methods for teaching preschoolers to express emotions more carefully. Here are two specific strategies this website gives:
Teach about the “size of the problem.”
Smaller problems can be solved without the help of a grown-up. Medium problems are those that require some grown-up help, but the child still should be involved in the solution. A big problem needs a grown-up to come quickly alongside to solve the problem without the help of a child. The purpose of teaching these concepts is to allow the child to learn to match the size of the problem to the response.
Learn and then teach the principles in the book, Zones of Regulation.
Found on the same Social Thinking website, author Leah Kuypers, talks about a color-coded way to look at emotions. There are four color zones, representing types of heightened emotions that anyone can naturally experience. The hope is that the child eventually learns to identify what zone they may be in and to then develop strategies to work their way back to a comfortable zone.
There are many good resources, and your child’s preschool teacher will aid in your child’s learning process regarding emotional regulation. You can ask your child’s teacher for ways they teach this topic at school.
Personal knowledge really is power. Any resource that helps you deal with the difficult strains of child emotional wellness is valuable and worth it.
If you enjoyed this blog, please take a look at our school’s blog page. There you will find blogs on a wide variety of topics that we believe will be beneficial to you and your family.
Want to learn more about Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academy of Greatwood located in Richmond, Texas? Our mission is to provide secure, nurturing, and educational environments for children ages 6 weeks – 12 years. We help children to bloom into responsible, considerate, and contributing members of society. For more information, give us a call or stop by for a tour! We’d love to get to know you and your family.