Helping children identify and articulate emotions is a vital aspect of emotional development: This process of naming emotions, often summarised as ‘name it to tame it’, is a powerful tool in emotional regulation and mental health. This resource is best utilised after you have shared a picture story book about feelings and/or emotions, or following a movie (Inside Out 2 is a current favourite). If a child is feeling anxious, guiding them to say, “I’m feeling anxious right now”, can help them start to process and deal with the emotion rather than being overwhelmed, ‘anxious’ may not be a word the child identifies with, that's why this activity is a valuable one.
 
Having an open and curious conversation and naming an emotion or feeling helps in the following ways:
 
• Age-Appropriate Learning: It’s crucial that children first have a basic understanding of different emotions before moving on to more advanced strategies. Younger children might start with primary emotions like happy, sad, angry, or scared. Older children can explore more nuanced feelings like frustration, embarrassment, or anxiety.
• Physical Connection: Teaching kids to recognise how emotions feel in their bodies is important. For instance, anger might feel like a tightness in the chest, while anxiety might be a fluttery feeling in the stomach. This connection helps to become more attuned to their emotional states and can act as an early warning system.
• Once children can identify their emotions, they can begin to manage them more effectively. This technique involves acknowledging and labelling the emotion, which can reduce its intensity and make it more manageable.
• Movies and Books as Tools: Inside Out is a fantastic resource for helping children understand emotions in a visual and relatable way. For younger kids, the first movie introduces the basics of emotional experiences, while Inside Out 2 can provide more depth for tweens and teens, helping them explore complex emotions and the interplay between them - Discussion Starters: After watching these movies, use them as a springboard for conversation. Ask questions like, “Which character did you relate to the most?” or “How do you think the emotions work together?” This can help children articulate their thoughts and feelings.
• Customisable Resources: Providing children with the opportunity to add their own words to a resource can be incredibly empowering. It allows them to personalise their emotional language and makes the process more engaging.
• Language as a Tool: ‘Words change worlds’. By equipping children with the correct words, we help them articulate and manage their emotions, reducing the likelihood of bottling up their feelings.
• No Right or Wrong: It’s essential to convey to children that there’s no wrong way to feel or name their emotions. This fosters a safe environment where they feel comfortable exploring and naming their emotions without fear of judgement.