Teaching Kids to Name Their Feelings: A Step-by-Step Guide
6 min read
'Use your words' doesn't work if no one taught the words. Here's how to build the emotional vocabulary first.
Why naming works
Naming an emotion calms the amygdala — there's actual brain imaging behind 'name it to tame it.' But you can only name what you have words for.
How to build the vocabulary
- Name your own feelings out loud, in real time
- Use a feelings wheel from age 4 onward
- Start broad (mad, sad, glad, scared) then go specific
- Read books with strong emotional language
- Avoid quizzing in the heat of the moment