Young children experience complex emotions just like adults. They get frustrated, sad, worried, excited, and overwhelmed; however, they usually haven’t mastered the ability to use logic and words to manage their feelings in the same way. Instead, young children may communicate their feelings in other ways, often through more physical, challenging, and less controlled methods.
We’ve all been there: Your three-year-old has a meltdown in the middle of the grocery checkout line or you become beyond exasperated when your eldest clobbers your youngest for no apparent reason. Feelings. They push us to our limits. They’re big and at times, seem to come out of nowhere. We realize that we have difficulty managing our own emotions, so it’s easy to understand when our children have the same problem. Here are some strategies to help your children first identify their feelings, and then learn to manage their feelings in acceptable ways.
Have you ever been on the way to the pediatrician’s office when you happened to mention to your kids that it’s time for their annual flu shot? Then all chaos breaks out - they start shaking, screaming, crying, and begging that you turn around and take them home right away. Children may face situations on the go that cause them great anxiety: It may be a trip to the doctor, the first day of school, a challenging test, traveling on an airplane, or going to an unfamiliar place, like a friend’s party or relative’s house. How can you help your kids get through these stressful times, so they can learn to calm themselves down?
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is thought to be the most common childhood mental health disorder. Whether your child has been newly diagnosed or you and your child have been on this journey for quite some time, here are some tips.
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