I openly admit that we are Daniel Tiger Neighborhood fanatics in this house. When P turned one, we started introducing the show slowly. And from then until he turned two, that was the only show that he would watch. Let me stress that again, that was only show in this entire world that he would watch. I can quote every episode, and every song. But to be honest, I didn't mind. Social skills are incredibly important. I can teach P letters, sounds, names, numbers and whatever else. But social skills take time, control, and lots of practice. Social skills can be tricky to teach sometimes, but those jingles that go along with each episode are the. best. ever. We sing them all the time around this house and 75% of the time they produce desired results. And with a very high strung two year old, that's a miracle.
When I decided to start doing preschool with P, I knew emotions and social skills were going to a big objective for me. Not only did I want Porter to be able to identify his emotions, but I wanted him to identify the emotions from other kids as well. And I wanted to help him understand how we get these emotions. For example, someone took our toy, so now we feel mad. Now, I get it. He's two. He won't conquer this concept entirely. But I know two things will happen:
1. Kids are constantly learning. He will pick up little pieces of this big concept. That is good enough for me.
2. Talking with your kids about emotions build relationships. And I strive to have a good relationship with my littles always. Not just when they are little.
So. Here is a freebie to help get that discussion going.
These emotion cards can be a great way to
start a conversation about feelings.
Here are some examples of questions you can ask.
*How is the child in the picture feeling?
*How can you tell that is how they feel?
*How can we make someone who is sad feel
better?
*When is a time that you felt happy?
After
your discussion, put magnets on the back, put them on Popsicle sticks, or hang
them around the room! Then when you need to talk about feelings, refer them
back to these cards! It will help them make a connection between the lesson and
their little lives.
For your free download, click here.
I'm totally going to go print these! I think this will be so good to start doing with Sadie. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteEmotions are hard to grasp! But so worth it in the long run if you can start helping them when they are little. Teaching them things like counting to 10 when they get mad, or talking to you when they are sad are skills that will carry with them past their toddler years!
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