It’s no secret that toddlers are commonly dealing with some very big feelings! As they take their very first steps along the path of social emotional awareness, books can be a wonderful resource for helping them to learn to identify a range of feelings and today I am excited to share a list of some […]
Emoji Emotions Matching Cards Printable
Inside: Tap into the emoji craze as a tool to explore feelings and emotions with your children with this fun, printable emoji emotions matching cards set. The card pack (download instructions at the bottom of this post) includes 18 different emoji emotions matching cards, including the emotions of happy, sad, scared, hurt, worried, angry, embarrassed, […]
10 Strategies for Supporting the Emotional Wellbeing of Students
Let’s take a quiz. These situations have one main commonality. What would you say it is? FYI – names are purely fictional. The situation? Not so much. Timmy is a ninth grader who appears generally happy, but then he missed a few days of school and, when he returned, kept his head on his desk, […]
No More Excuses. It’s Not Okay for Kids to be Mean: 9 Things We All Need to Be Doing to Help Kids Develop Empathy
“Kids can be so mean.” “It’s just the age.” “Girls are just mean.” “It’s just boys.” To be honest, I am tired of hearing excuses for mean or exclusionary behaviour. What age are we talking about? When do children supposedly out grow mean behaviour? – 5? 8? 10? 13? I’ve heard people say “It’s just […]
Emotional Regulation: Are We Overlooking An Essential Key to School Success?
Practical ideas for helping children learn emotional regulation strategies. Emotional regulation is an art. Let’s be honest, not all adults are capable of consistently demonstrating it. Road rage, harassment, work place conflict, adult bullying, domestic violence – are all the unfortunate and explosive consequences of adults who have never mastered the art of self-regulation. Staying […]
21 Awesome Kids Books Exploring Feelings and Emotions
I am a huge fan of using books as a resource to open discussion with kids about all manner of situations and problems. This collection of books about feelings and emotions was sparked by the popularity of our Managing Big Emotions emotional awareness series, with the picture books featured here handpicked for their capacity to […]
Help! My Child is Being Bullied
By definition: “Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems.” Source As a teacher, bullying concerns me greatly. As […]
9 Ways To Explore Feelings & Emotions With Toddlers & Preschoolers
Emotional regulation involves recognising emotions, using language to express feelings, learning to calm oneself down in the face of overwhelming emotions, and learning to treat others with kindness and empathy. And these are skills and behaviours that need to be learned. Toddlers and preschoolers are learning so much about themselves and their place in the […]
Take 5 Breathing Exercise for Kids
Today I am excited to team up with the lovely Leonie MacDonald of Relax Kids Canberra to bring you part four of the Managing Big Emotions printable poster series (you can find all of the other posters in the series in our Feelings & Emotions resource collection) – this newest addition is a simple breathing […]
9 Ways to Motivate Kids…to Play, to Learn & to Love Life
I have been asked twice recently what or whom inspires me as both a person and a parent. It might sound silly but my two young children really are my inspiration. I love their joy, their laughter, their curiosity, and their enthusiasm; they truly embrace life with both arms outstretched, intrinsically motivated to explore, and […]
