Start with your own
'I'm feeling a bit frustrated with this jar' or 'I'm proud of how I sorted that' teaches vocabulary faster than any chart. Your child is watching you name feelings long before you ask them to name theirs.
Narrate small feelings, not just big ones
'You look disappointed the biscuit broke.' You're not making a fuss - you're handing them the exact word they'll need in a bigger moment later.
Point out feelings in others
Third-person feelings are safer than their own. 'Look, he's frustrated because the tower fell.' A child who's comfortable seeing feelings in the world learns to see them in themselves.
Use a book as a shared library
'The Feelings Remote' gives feelings characters and channels. Once your child has met 'frustrated' in the story, saying 'that's a frustrated feeling' at home stops being a lesson - it becomes shorthand between the two of you.
The Solution
Gentle tools to try tonight
Pair one story with one printable and you have the whole shape of this article on the sofa with your child.
Books that rehearse the moment
The Feelings Remote
Buy the book →I Can Calm Down (girls)
Buy the book →My Calm Down Book (boys)
Buy the book →
Free printables to go with it
Downloads unlock the moment you pop your email in - one form, then the PDF lands in your inbox.
- Download the printable →
My Calm Plan: Body Signals & Coping Kit
3-page printable that helps your child spot a meltdown in their body before it lands.
This article is general parenting support, not medical advice. If you're worried about your child, please speak to your GP or health visitor.