Toddlers: How to Address Feelings and Emotions
Kermit the Frog once said “It’s not easy being green”. That very well may be true, although these days I’d have to say that “It’s not easy being a toddler”. Toddlers are growing, trying out new things, and learning to express their feelings. Feelings are an important part of being a toddler. They are just starting to explore and express on many different levels what and how they feel. Either vocally, through facial expressions or body language. As a parent, it’s the perfect time to help my toddler find her way to showing appropriate expressions or simply helping her along on the journey of growing up.
On any given day, my 3-year-old displays a number of emotions. It seems like she can go from peachy-keen to downright mad at the world in 2.5 seconds. There are days when I hear “I don’t like you, anymore” too many times to count. ‘ll admit, the first time – it stung. I respond the same each time, a simple “That’s okay because I love you” and usually she comes around.
Recently, Paige was helping me out in the kitchen. I was slicing strawberries and she was putting them into the bowl. It was the perfect time to talk about the things in our house that we love and appreciate. I’ve been working on this with her because she tells us often that she loves mom, dad, and Lucy (our dog). She excludes Johnny, her older brother, and follows up with “I don’t like Johnny”. I get it, I wasn’t much too keen on my little brothers either, and it’s important for her to know that it’s okay to be irritated with a sibling, but we still have to love and respect them.
Whether she’s cheerful or feeling a bit grumpy, I make sure to tell her that she’s always loved.
How do you address your toddler’s feelings? What has worked well for you in the past?
Sky Seery owns Seeryus Mama, a blog about life as a midwestern mama and the products that go along with it. Born and raised in Nebraska, it’s home. Sky is married to Brandon, and they are slowly updating their current home with hopes to build in the future. They have two children a tween and toddler and a spoiled schnauzer. Sky works as a part-time librarian and she is also attending college with the hopes of one day earning her Master’s in Library Science.
What a sweet face! I am a mom to three little boys (ages 5, 3, 1) and their emotions are all over the place. What works for me is to get down on their level and try to place words with how they are feeling. For example, “You threw your toy because you are upset that it did not make a noise when you pushed the button. Here let me try to help you.” Sometimes it works… other times it doesn’t.
There is no perfect way to parent… we are all on this ride together trying to figure it out.