Helping Children Manage Big Emotions

Parenting is a roller-coaster ride filled with loads of fun as well as moments where we feel as if we are walking on eggshells. When our child has an outburst, we either make frantic attempts to soothe them or end up having a fit ourselves. Though it appears as if we are stumbling in the dark when it comes to understanding our child's emotions, there is still hope. When armed with information about how to help them deal with their emotional challenges, we will be able to sit back and enjoy this ride. Read on.

- Dr.Nisha Vidyasagar

Young children are often beset by strong emotions. Emotional challenges are a part of growing up and uncomfortable situations tend to elicit a mixed set of reactions in children ranging from anger, sadness, fear and worry. A toddler who loses her toy; a middle schooler who is ignored by his friend; a teenager dealing with being over-weight - all experience big emotions that require regulation. In some children, the reactions are instantaneous and intense while in others the distress builds up over time before leading to an outburst. How we react to our child’s emotions has an impact on their ability to handle their innermost feelings. As parents, we thus have a responsibility to help our child develop emotional intelligence for them to cope with the highs and lows of life.

Useful questions to ask ourselves

Before proceeding to read through the next few pages, it helps to think of the following questions:

» How do we know that our child is overwhelmed or stressed?

» What are the triggers for stress?

» What do we do to help the child feel calm? Does it work?

» What more can we do to help the child feel calm?

Building Emotional Resilience

Consider these scenarios: