Helping Your Child Build Emotional Literacy – A Superpower for Life!

It’s Children’s Mental Health Week, and there’s no better time to talk about something that plays a huge role in our kids’ well-being: emotional literacy!

Emotional literacy—being able to recognize, understand, and manage emotions—isn’t just about handling the big feelings (like frustration when they lose at Mario Kart 🎮). It helps children build strong relationships, make wise decisions, and navigate life with confidence. As Kate Silverton, child therapist and ambassador for Place2Be, says: “When children can regulate their emotions, they can focus in school, control impulses, take turns, and engage socially.” (Read her full thoughts here)

So how can we, as parents, help our children develop this crucial skill? Here are some fun and practical ways to boost emotional literacy at home!

1. Read & Talk About Stories Together 📖

Books are brilliant conversation starters for emotions. Whether it’s a picture book or a gripping novel, stories help kids see emotions in action and talk about their own feelings.

✨ Try This: After reading a book, ask:

• “How do you think that character felt when that happened?”

• “Have you ever felt like that?”

• “What could they have done differently?”

These small discussions help kids connect emotions to real-life situations—which is gold for emotional literacy!

2. Teach Them to Name Their Feelings 🎭

Ever heard a child scream, “I’M JUST SO ANGRY!” but they can’t explain why? Helping them name their emotions gives them power over their feelings instead of being overwhelmed by them.

✨ Try This:

• Use an “Emotion Wheel” (Google it—it’s a game-changer!) to help kids identify their emotions beyond “happy” or “sad.”

• When they’re upset, encourage them to say what they feel instead of acting out. Instead of “I hate this!” try: “I feel frustrated because this is tricky.”

Naming emotions is the first step to managing them!

3. Encourage Drama & Role-Playing 🎭

Acting is an amazing way for children to explore emotions safely! Through LAMDA Exams and drama activities, kids step into different characters’ shoes, helping them understand emotions from multiple perspectives.

✨ How LAMDA Helps:

• Performing pieces with emotional depth teaches them to express feelings clearly.

• Learning monologues & poems gives them new words to describe emotions.

• Exams teach them how to manage nerves, handle feedback, and develop confidence—all skills that build emotional resilience!

Whether they take LAMDA Exams or just enjoy dressing up and acting out stories at home, drama is a fun, creative way to explore emotions!

4. Make Feelings Part of Everyday Conversations 💬

If emotions are only discussed when things go wrong, kids might feel embarrassed or uncomfortable talking about them. Instead, make emotions a normal, everyday topic!

✨ Try This:

• At dinner, do a “Feelings Check-In”: “What was the best part of your day? What was tricky?”

• Normalize talking about your own emotions: “I felt really happy when you helped clean up today!”

• Use a Feelings Jar: Kids can write down emotions they’ve felt during the week and chat about them together.

The more kids practice talking about their feelings, the easier it gets!

5. Help Them Handle BIG Feelings in a Healthy Way 😌

Frustration, disappointment, sadness—big emotions happen! But how kids respond to them is what really matters.

✨ Try This:

• Teach breathing techniques (like "Breathe in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4").

• Have a “Calm Down Kit” with stress balls, coloring books, or calming music.

• Model healthy coping by showing them how you handle your own stress. (“I’m feeling frustrated, so I’m going to take a deep breath before I react.”)

These small strategies help kids build resilience and learn that emotions aren’t something to fear—they’re something to understand and manage!

Final Thoughts 💡

Building emotional literacy isn’t about fixing emotions—it’s about understanding them, expressing them, and learning from them. Whether it’s through books, drama, everyday chats, or emotional check-ins, every small step helps children grow into emotionally intelligent, resilient young people.

So this Children’s Mental Health Week, let’s take a moment to help our kids tune into their emotions—because when they can manage their feelings, they can thrive in every part of life. 💛

Want to start LAMDA lessons? Book in for a Discovery Call today.