How to Foster a Child's Emotional Development

One of the most important parts of the human experience is feeling the range of emotions we go through in our lifetime. Even at a young age, the emotions children experience, from happiness to sadness, can lead to enriched life experiences and improved relationships on the journey to adulthood.

Emotional Empowerment allows us to experience these emotions. It teaches us how to have better control over our emotions when necessary – especially strong negative emotions like anger, fear and anxiety.

Learn about emotional empowerment and the five steps you and your family can follow to take ownership of emotions you face every day.


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Guide

Step 1: Identifying Emotions

Helping a child build their emotional language gives them a better understanding of how to use words to express how they are feeling – a crucial component of Emotional Empowerment.

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Step 2: Recognizing Emotions

Many people – both kids and adults – find it difficult to recognize emotions as they are feeling them. We can create a mental habit of doing a self-check and adjust our thoughts and behaviors based on how we feel.

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Step 3: Understanding Emotions in Others

Noticing and understanding emotions in people around you is crucial for forming and maintaining close personal relationships. It’s one of the core components of empathy or recognizing how others are feeling.

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Step 4: Expressing Emotions Appropriately

It’s important to learn how to communicate all emotions we feel, but some are more difficult to express than others. Children can learn how to express any emotion they feel in an appropriate way.

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Step 5: Regulating Strong Emotions

Regulating strong emotions and having a balanced state of mind is an important part of the developmental process. Learning foundational skills early helps kids keep their emotions from taking over.


Additional Resources


Guide

Managing Anger in Kids

No matter their age, learning how to manage anger and frustration is an important process throughout a child's development. Use these tips and tools to help manage your child’s anger.