Sometimes, it’s difficult to put feelings into words, especially for children. iMOM’s Feel Wheel can help your children identify the emotions they’re experiencing. There are feel wheels for bigger kids and adults that are much more complex, but for little kids who just need help naming a basic emotion, this colorful and fun visual is a great tool.
You might think that your little one is pretty good at telling you how she feels, but where the Feel Wheel comes in handy is when she’s a little less talkative and more, let’s say, physically expressive. If she’s crying or throwing a tantrum, get the feel wheel out and help her name the emotion. Sometimes what looks like anger, might actually be sadness that’s just having a difficult time being expressed. But once she can say she’s actually sad not to get to go to grandma’s and not angry, despite the fist-pounding, you can offer some better words of consolation.
If our children can start naming their emotions (even these simple ones) when they are young, they will be set up for better emotional health when they are older. There are so many benefits like decreased anxiety, increased self-awareness around what brings them comfort, and greater empathy. And of course, it helps you parent more effectively because you can work through the emotion, not ignore or disregard it.
No one feeling is better or worse than any other. You are truly giving your child a gift when they realize that they have permission to not only feel their feelings but also tell you what they feel. So print our feel wheel for kids today and hang it kid-eye-level on a closet door or mirror so you can easily point to it when you need to know what’s going on in the heart of your little one.
