This Week in Guidance

 

Preschoolers need to learn to appropriately label, cope with, and express their emotions. Typically, children this age act out their feelings and/or cry when they feel overwhelmed or experience intense feelings because they do not have the ability to use abstract terms to express themselves. As children mature they will eventually be able to master this skill, however, it's important to be patient, model healthy behaviors, so our children will know what to do, and encourage our children to practice. One way we can help our children is to teach them to identify and label their feeling when we notice that they are upset and show them how to cope with emotions by modeling appropriate behavior, for example, "That really scared you; when I feel scared I watch a funny movie; talk to a friend; listen to music" etc. While children often know what they are not supposed to do in a situation, they have no idea how to help themselves. For example, they may realize that if they get mad and throw a toy they will not be able to play with the toy for awhile, yet they don't know what they should do when they get mad to help calm down such as take a deep breath, go to a quiet place, etc. This week's lesson will focus on learning to identify the feeling of "fear" and learning how to appropriately cope with and express this feeling. They will learn the following strategies: 1) talk to someone they trust or who cares about them such as their parent, grandparent, teacher, or an older sibling, 2) talk to community helpers such as nurses, doctors, police officers, and firefighters, 3) talk, laugh, and play with friends to get their mind off of the fear, 4) think about other things that they enjoy such as baking cookies with grandma or playing at the park with dad, 5) look at and/or read a book, 6) draw a picture about what is scaring them, how they feel or about something they enjoy doing, 7) play outside or take a walk, 8) play a game, 9) sing a song, 10) go to a quiet place where they feel safe, 11) take deep breaths, 12) say a prayer, 13) think about the good things in their lives, or 14) use a night-light at bed time. As a parent, you may have other ideas and options for your child. Please take time this week to talk to your child about the feeling of fear and what they can do if they feel afraid. Also, please keep in mind that children this age are unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality. They really believe the monsters they see in movies are real! Please monitor the movies and games your child plays and views. There is a good reason for the ratings that are used on these products, most experts in our country believe they are inappropriate for children of certain ages. If your child is often fearful or anxious, think about what they may be watching on T.V. or playing on X-Box, or seeing/hearing an older sibling or adult play or do. If you have any questions regarding this issue please feel free to send me a private message or give me a call at school. I would be happy to help.