What's on our bookshelf....

When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Angry... by Molly Bang

Children show emotions as young as birth but are not aware of what they are communicating. We need to help children understand their feelings and how to deal with them. Talking about their emotion during the time they are experiencing it, is very beneficial because it helps them recognize and name their feelings when they are feeling them. For example, if they are sad, explain to them that you see their face is getting red, their smile is turned upside down and tears are coming down their cheeks. Then talk them through what happened and if applicable, what other choices they had to avoid this feeling or even that it's okay to have that feeling. Give them options for how to deal with their emotion. The options could be: talking to the person who hurt their feelings, screaming into a pillow, or sitting quietly by themselves. Once they understand how they got to that point and how to process that emotion, they will be able to communicate more effectively and feel less frustration.

Sometimes, reading a story that spotlights a particular emotion can help as well. In this story, a little girl named Sophie gets very angry after her sister takes a toy away from her. We follow Sophie as she gets angry and eventually calms down. The story and illustrations make it very easy to recognize the signs of her feelings from her facial expressions, the words, and the colors on the page. Follow Sophie on her journey and ask your child if they ever feel that way. Together, brainstorm ways that Sophie could have handled the situation differently from the time she became angry to how she calmed down. This book is a wonderful conversation starter.