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We have a 2 and 4 year old. Big feelings are pretty much the norm in our house. Some days, it can be a lot, especially now that our youngest is starting to have the big feelings, too.
We can talk and talk all day long about using gentle hands and words, honoring others, listening, etc. But sometimes, kids just really absorb information better through books. And our girls love to read! So we have worked in these 5 books to help little people deal with big feelings, and I can see such a change in them! We read them often, as the repetition really helps with driving the concepts home. Scroll on to read why we love each book, and click the image or pink link to grab a copy for your own family!
We actually got this book from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. My girls love it. It talks about how sometimes, in spite of our best efforts, unexpected things happen. Things don’t always go our way in life. The book navigates all of the different feelings and responses that you may encounter when this happens, and highlights the importance of being there for others by simply listening. It is such a great book!
Our youngest is much more of a hitter than our eldest ever was, but either way, hitting happens. We love to read this book when we are having a hard time with gentle hands. I love seeing my girls implement the different coping techniques!
I absolutely love this book! It really helps to validate emotions, normalize healthy anger, and recognize when it is getting out of control. We talk about lava levels often, which helps me to identify where my kids are at so that I can help them learn to calm themselves. This one is a great book, and is backed by tons of psychologists!
This book is great, because it is written from the point of view of the child. It teaches them how to recognize their big feelings, name them and then teaches healthy ways to cope. It can be so hard for a child to self-regulate when they are lacking these skills, so building them up is very important. Another great one!
Riley is an adorable little dinosaur who gets roaring mad when things don’t go her way. This book is a bit more whimsical, which engages my girls in the story. We like to discuss how sometimes things happen, like other kids knocking down our towers, the wrong reactions (throwing toys) and the right ones. We like to talk about what Riley did, how she could react differently, and learning from Mr. Rex. This one is definitely one of my girls’ favorite books!
If you have young children, I would 10 out of 10 recommend these 5 books! Spend the $50 to stock up on them. You will be amazed at the difference you see in your children within a few weeks of reading them!
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