Brave books for boys how to#

Scared and brave walking into her new classroom. In this story, the little girl experiences different feeling combinations throughout her day. The truth is that we can feel more than one feeling at a time - which we call both/and. Happy Sad Today by Lory Britain, illustrated by Matthew Rivera This book talks about times when things are scary and times when those same things are not - “ Sometimes I’m scared of dogs // I’m not scared when they give me kisses.” Parr shows how it’s okay to feel scared as well as shifting the perspective to see things in a new way. Kids will understand that it’s normal and okay for many feelings to come and go each day. “Sometimes I feel…” begins each page, continuing on to describe the many different feeling that kids can experience throughout their day from silly to lonely to scared. Best Picture Books for Kids About Emotions & Feelings Teachers, learn more about social-emotional learning in the classroom.

Brave books for boys how to#

Those books on this list are SO GOOD.Īnd, I’m starting to write SEL picture books because I want to see books on emotions that show both/and –and that show kids how to live with uncomfortable emotions, not just try to get rid of them which is a set up for shame. The books that I recommend the most and are most in line with what I know to be best for kids from research and therapy are starred.

some even suggest ignoring your inner voice to be “brave” - and doing things anyway (that book is NOT on this list).

they send messages that emotions are good or bad.

they teach that you can “overcome” anxiety (not true if you have an anxiety disorder, but is true if you have a situational worry).they teach you can only feel one emotion at a time.Some of the books might be are problematic because: That being said, some books do not support the most current research and are problematic. Here you’ll find a list of the picture books that will spark further conversations and continue to build their emotional literacy foundation. None are bad.Īnd, notice how you can have more than one emotion at a time! You could say some are strong emotions or uncomfortable but we need all our emotions. Name and notice the emotions you’re feeling– and how they come and go.ĭon’t label any emotions as good or bad. Pause to check in with yourself and your kids throughout the day. So how can you use the children’s books on this list? Again, be careful with broad generalizations.Īs children become better able to identify emotions, they’ll improve their relationship skills as well. They would never show emotions like an emoji face. One study I read also gave the example of an award-winning actor. It might be a starting point, but it is not backed by research. So be CAUTIOUS when you teach that happiness looks like a smiley face and anger looks like a scrunched-up face. Particularly someone from a culture different than your own. You can’t look at someone and necessarily label the emotion they are feeling correctly. (It’s a journey not a destination.)ĬAUTION: Recent research DISPROVES the theory of our facial expressions accurately express our feelings. It’s essential that we teach our kids to identify the emotions they are feeling beyond happy, sad, and mad ( emotional granularity) so they can then improve emotional regulation as well as general well-being and mental health now and in the future. They’ve identified five specific competencies for children which are the following:Įssentially, social-emotional learning starts with self-awareness and the ability to name your own emotions when you’re feeling them. Picture books about feelings can help children identify their emotions, what each emotion feels like, and understand that all feelings are okay.ĬASEL defines Social-Emotional Learning as acquiring “ the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.” We can support our children as they learn about their emotions and develop emotional intelligence.