Tips for Working with a Child Who Is Aware of Feelings
Friends, Family and Home
- Be aware that adults and friends may easily hurt her feelings.
- Encourage him to tell his brothers and sisters and friends how he is feeling.
- Let her help take care of younger siblings and pets.
- Encourage him to develop friendships with children who have special needs and need extra help.
Learning, Childcare and School
- Make teachers aware that she easily gets her feelings hurt.
- Ask teachers to let him help other children who need extra help.
- Ask the teacher to check with her during the day asking how she feels about things.
- When he is upset, help him calm down before beginning a learning activity.
Activities and Television
- Involve her in group activities such as board games.
- Limit television programs that are too sad, violent or emotional.
- Talk about how people are feeling in TV shows and whether or not it is real.
Guidance and Discipline
- Use feeling words when you talk to him, such as “How do you feel about…?”
- Have her think about the good and bad of different actions before making decisions.
- Help him think through a situation and talk to someone before responding emotionally.
- Remember that when you or someone around your baby is upset, she may become upset, too.
Tips for Working with a Child Who Is Less Aware of Feelings
Friends, Family and Home
When arguments occur with siblings or friends, ask him how he thinks the other child feels.
- Discuss feelings her friends might have when they are upset with her, and role play how she could talk to them.
- Talk about and name feelings with the whole family.
- Encourage him to think about his friends’ feelings and their wishes when he makes plans.
Learning, Childcare and School
- Ask teachers to name her feelings when she is upset.
- Choose programs and schools that emphasize caring about others.
- Provide books and activities about how to express feelings appropriately.
- Explain to teachers that sometimes the emotion a child shows may not be his true feeling.
Activities and Television
- Play a game, and have her guess feelings based on your expressions.
- When watching TV, ask him how the characters on TV might be feeling in a situation.
- Involve her in service to others, such as taking cookies to someone or making a get-well card.
- Play board games with him that involve expressing feelings and ideas.
Guidance and Discipline
- Name the feeling she is expressing. For instance, “You seem angry at Johnny” or “I can tell you are very happy right now.”
- After a bad experience with someone occurs, talk about how both he and the other person must feel.
- Talk about positive feelings and identify them for her when she or others are happy.
- Recognize that he may act in anger when he is really sad or hurting.