Laura S. Kastner, Ph.D., author of Wise-Minded Parenting
OWL (Offer of Wise-Minded Learning): Name That Emotion
Developing an emotional vocabulary
People often don’t know how to describe how they feel, and kids especially can be confused and overwhelmed. Use emotional vocabulary, and encourage your child to do the same. Identifying emotions is the first step in figuring out what’s causing them, and then savoring the positive ones and attempting effective problem-solving (or coping) with the negative ones.
Try posting a list of negative and positive emotions in the kitchen:
- Anger
- Anxiety
- Apathy
- Awe
- Affection
- Annoyance
- Boredom
- Contempt
- Contentment
- Courage
- Depression
- Disgust
- Disappointment
- Envy
- Embarrassment
- Excitement
- Fear
- Frustration
- Guilt
- Joy
- Jealousy
- Pity
- Pride
- Regret
- Satisfaction
- Shame
- Trust
- Worry
- Wonder
- Zest
When your child asks you, “What’s up?” you can tell him that you are working on becoming more aware of your own emotions, by correctly labeling them as they happen.
Read more about naming emotions in Wise-Minded Parenting: 7 Essentials for Raising Successful Tweens + Teens, in chapter 2: Self-Control and chapter 5: Emotional Flourishing.
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