Children’s emotions: why it’s important to learn how to manage emotions

Being able to deal with emotions is very important. However, children’s emotions are not always transparent. When a child is overwhelmed by emotions with every setback, he/she will often feel uncomfortable. It will therefore be very difficult to achieve goals or overcome setbacks. But it is also very important for social interaction that a child learns to deal with his or her emotions.

Learning to manage emotions involves more than controlling your emotions. A child who learns to deal with emotions must first of all learn to recognize and distinguish his own emotions.

Young children in particular sometimes confuse feelings such as disappointment, anger and sadness. Managing and controlling emotions in general can be very difficult for children. And we see that children with AD(H)D, ODD or autism have even more trouble regulating their emotions.

Incidentally, sometimes children also need help in understanding their own emotions. It can then be very helpful if you name what feeling you perceive in the child. Once a child can say that he/she is angry or sad and can explain why, he/she is already expressing these feelings for the first time.

In addition, the Emotion Wheels are great tools!