Session Overview
Before a child can manage their emotions, they need to be able to name them. This session introduces the foundational skills of emotional literacy and provides you with a toolkit of evidence-based strategies to help your child recognize, express, and regulate their emotional experience.
Emotional Literacy: The Foundation of Everything
Research by Dr. John Gottman shows that children who can identify and name their emotions show better regulation, stronger friendships, higher academic performance, and fewer behavioral problems. Emotional literacy is not a soft skill, it is foundational to every area of a child's life.
The Six Primary Emotions
All emotions are derived from six primary ones. Start here when building your child's emotional vocabulary:
As children develop vocabulary, they expand into richer nuance: frustrated, disappointed, jealous, overwhelmed, embarrassed, lonely, peaceful, excited, curious, proud...
How to Build Emotional Literacy at Home
- Name emotions as you see them: "You look frustrated right now. Is that what you're feeling?" Validate rather than dismiss.
- Connect to the body: "Where do you feel that? Does your tummy feel tight? Do your shoulders feel heavy?"
- Use books and films: "How do you think that character is feeling? What clues did you see?"
- Create a feelings chart: A simple visual display your child can point to each day.
- Model your own emotions openly: "I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed right now, I'm going to take some deep breaths."
The Mindfulness Toolkit for HSC
Mindfulness is NOT about making your child be quiet, stay calm, or suppress emotions.
Mindfulness IS about helping your child notice what is happening inside, without being consumed by it. Even 5 minutes of daily practice creates measurable brain changes over time.
| Practice | How to Do It | Why It Helps for HSC |
|---|---|---|
| 🌬 Belly Breathing | Place a hand on the belly. Breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 1, out for 6 counts. Repeat 3 to 5 times. | The extended exhale activates the parasympathetic nervous system, signaling safety to the body. |
| 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding | Name 5 things you see, 4 you touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste. | Pulls HSC back into their body and the present moment when emotions are overwhelming. |
| 🧘 Body Scan | Starting at the feet, slowly move awareness through the body, noticing sensations without judgment. | Develops somatic awareness, helping HSC identify where emotions live in their body. |
| 🔔 Mindful Listening | Ring a bell or singing bowl. Listen with total attention until the sound completely fades. | Trains focused attention and present-moment awareness in a simple, enjoyable way. |
| ⚓ Breath Anchor | "Your breath is like an anchor. When thoughts take over, come back to your breath." | Gives HSC a reliable, always-available tool to return to calm when overwhelmed. |
Sensory Regulation Strategies
Sometimes a dysregulated HSC needs physical input before emotional processing can happen. These body-based strategies work with the nervous system directly:
- Movement: running, jumping, cycling, outdoor play
- Crunchy foods: carrots, popcorn, apple slices
- Cold water on face or hands
- Indoor obstacle courses
- Energizing, rhythmic music
- Slow yoga stretches or heavy work (pushing, pulling)
- Slow, deep breathing exercises
- Weighted blanket or firm deep pressure
- Quiet, dimly lit calm-down space
- Calming music or nature sounds
- How does your child currently express their emotions? What is their emotional vocabulary like?
- Which mindfulness practices do you think your child would be most open to? Why?
- Are there sensory regulation strategies your child already gravitates toward naturally?
- Try ONE mindfulness practice with your child, start with just 1 to 2 minutes.
- Begin naming emotions out loud in daily life: yours AND your child's.
- Create a simple "Feelings Chart" together, a list or drawings of emotions they can point to.