It’s no secret that kids today face a lot of stress. From school pressures to peer groups, it can be hard to navigate the emotions that come with growing up. According to a study by Zero To Three, 42% of parents think that babies start feeling these emotions around age one or older. But the truth is that babies experience a wide spectrum of emotions, such as grief, rage, and fear, even before they can speak their first words, at just 3 to 5 months old. That’s why it’s so important to teach kids how to identify and handle their emotions in healthy ways.

But it’s not always easy to teach emotional intelligence. It’s something that must be actively taught, not just passively learned. So how do you go about teaching your kids to identify and manage their emotions?

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1. Play emotional games: Whether it’s a guessing game or an expression game, games can be a great way to help kids recognize, understand, and express emotions. For example, you could play a game where each person takes turns drawing a facial expression on a piece of paper and having everyone else guess the emotion being expressed. This can help kids learn to express themselves in healthy ways and identify the emotions of others.

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2. Talk about emotions: We can’t underestimate the power of conversation when it comes to teaching kids about their emotions. Ask your kids open-ended questions and encourage them to talk about their feelings. If they don’t feel like talking, you can also read books or watch shows that talk about different emotions and how to manage them. Allow your child to ask questions and discuss their own experiences around particular emotions in order to gain further understanding.

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3. Practice self-care activities: Self-care activities like yoga, meditation, and journaling are also great tools for teaching kids how to handle their emotions. Kids need to learn how to take care of themselves in times of stress or difficulty, so teaching them activities they can do on their own can be really valuable.

4. Give them control over their environment: Kids often don’t feel like they have control over their lives, so giving them some control over their environment can be empowering for them. Let your child choose what books or movies they watch or what activities they do on a weekend — this will help them practice decision-making skills and develop feelings of self-confidence when it comes to managing their own emotions.

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5. Encourage creative outlets: It’s important for kids to express themselves through creative outlets like art, music, and writing. These activities give kids the opportunity to explore and release their feelings in a safe way that doesn’t involve acting out in destructive ways — which is key for learning how to monitor and handle emotions appropriately.

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No matter what strategies you use, the most important thing is to make sure your child feels safe enough to express themselves openly without judgment or criticism — this is essential when it comes to teaching emotional intelligence. The best way we can help our children manage their emotions is by listening carefully and being supportive of whatever feelings they have. It’s only through understanding that we can truly learn how to cope with our emotions in healthy ways!