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Developing Your Preschoolers Emotional Vocabulary, by Annette Hernandez, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist

By January 8, 2011March 10th, 2014One Comment

In my practice, I get lots of questions from parents of young children about helping kids manage their emotions. Young kids, as we all know ( .some of us by direct experience, wink wink) are prone to tantrums and/or meltdowns. One reason for this is that their young minds are not yet able to a) understand their emotions and b) express their emotions. As with developing abilities, preschoolers need help learning the skill known as emotional vocabulary. In my last blog, I talked about labeling emotions by telling your child what you think she/he may be feeling at a particular moment. Now, I would like to talk about how we can help kids start to use their OWN feeling vocabulary. For example, when your child hears that you are making his or her favorite lunch-grilled cheese and apple- his or her little face peels into a smile and he or she starts dancing. While it is obvious to us that he or she is happy or excited, this is not so obvious to her or him. This is a good opportunity for developing the feeling vocabulary in your child by making a statement such as, I can see that you re really happy about lunch today! To take this one step further, help your child make connections between situations (or triggers) and feelings by following up with questions such as Is that so ” “Do you think you are happy about lunch This accomplishes two goals: a) it helps him or her confirm or disconfirm the feeling; b) it also provides room for a verbal exchange about feelings and triggers. Feelings charts (see links below) can help children use visual cues to build their vocabulary and recognize these emotions in others (there are many free and printable varieties online). You can start with simple ones with 3 or 4 feelings and gradually build up to more complex versions with up to 20 feelings.

Learning happens best when we are calm and attentive. Instead of waiting for a moment when you observe an intense emotion in your child, actively inject the feeling vocabulary into your everyday conversation. At this age, almost every activity can become an opportunity for emotions talk . So when you are having breakfast and you are talking about the planned outings of the day ahead, you can ask questions of your child such as, Do you think the movie we're going to see will be scary or silly Your friend is coming over tomorrow for a play date, are you excited

Feelings Charts
http://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com/feeling_charts.htm
http://www.child-behavior-guide.com/feelings-chart.html

Annette is a licensed clinical psychologist. She has a private practice in Park Slope and works with children with developmental delays and treats children/adolescents suffering from traumatic stress, depression, anxiety and related disorders. She incorporates cognitive-behavioral interventions with diverse clinical populations. She offers individual psychotherapy that focuses on building a child's existing strengths and developing new ways of coping with difficult situations. She can be reached at: [email protected] or by phone at 917-519-3082.

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Developing Your Preschoolers Emotional Vocabulary, by Annette Hernandez, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, Brooklyn Letters
Craig Selinger is the dedicated owner of Brooklyn Letters, a reputable private practice renowned for its exceptional services. Together with his team of skilled professionals, they extend their expertise across a wide range of locations, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Bronx, Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey, and Connecticut. With a New York State license as a speech-language therapist (pathologist) and a learning specialist, Craig boasts an impressive track record spanning over two decades, during which he and his team have helped more than a thousand families, establishing Brooklyn Letters as a respected practice in the field. Craig's proficiency encompasses a diverse array of domains, including addressing early childhood speech-language delays, skillfully managing expressive and receptive language disorders, and adeptly tackling language learning obstacles such as reading, writing, executive functioning, social and pragmatic communication. He also demonstrates mastery in speech production concerns, i.e., articulation and enunciation. What sets Craig and his team apart is their dedication to providing comprehensive care. They actively collaborate with the finest professionals in the NYC metro area, including neuropsychologists, mental health therapists, and allied health professionals. This network of expertise ensures a holistic approach to each client's unique needs.
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The following two tabs change content below.
Developing Your Preschoolers Emotional Vocabulary, by Annette Hernandez, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, Brooklyn Letters
Craig Selinger is the dedicated owner of Brooklyn Letters, a reputable private practice renowned for its exceptional services. Together with his team of skilled professionals, they extend their expertise across a wide range of locations, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Bronx, Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey, and Connecticut. With a New York State license as a speech-language therapist (pathologist) and a learning specialist, Craig boasts an impressive track record spanning over two decades, during which he and his team have helped more than a thousand families, establishing Brooklyn Letters as a respected practice in the field. Craig's proficiency encompasses a diverse array of domains, including addressing early childhood speech-language delays, skillfully managing expressive and receptive language disorders, and adeptly tackling language learning obstacles such as reading, writing, executive functioning, social and pragmatic communication. He also demonstrates mastery in speech production concerns, i.e., articulation and enunciation. What sets Craig and his team apart is their dedication to providing comprehensive care. They actively collaborate with the finest professionals in the NYC metro area, including neuropsychologists, mental health therapists, and allied health professionals. This network of expertise ensures a holistic approach to each client's unique needs.
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