Why a Good Emotion Vocabulary Supports Kids’ Wellbeing and even Academic Ability.

Did you know that there are thousands of emotion-related words and definitions in the English language? But sadly, many of our kids have restricted emotion vocabularies, consisting of a handful of words to describe how they’re feeling. Some common ones kids use to express themselves are happy, sad, angry, fine, and bored. A limited emotion vocabulary can have detrimental effects on their wellbeing, relationships, and academic learning (not to be all doom and gloom, but we have to be aware of this risk!)

Our children’s emotional skills certainly impact their relationships... for better or for worse. Imagine a child who is quick to anger and has uncontrollable tantrums. Or one who snaps at anyone attempting to share their toys. The teen who is so anxious and self-conscious that he shuts down to friends and family alike. 

“When our kids can’t express their feelings, they bottle them up, shove them down, and without asking for help or support are likely to explode at some point.”

Strong negative emotions can make kids see things from a more pessimistic point of view. It is a warning sign for us as parents, that when kids are unable to manage unpleasant emotions, research shows they are more likely to turn to drugs, alcohol and violence when they are older when trying to deal with these feelings.

Academically speaking, kids’ ability to manage emotions determines whether or not they can deeply process and remember new content. We know from brain research that emotions strongly affect our attention, memory and learning, so when our kids are calm and optimistic they learn more effectively and even perform better in testing situations. Emotional intelligence is so powerful!

So what does this all mean?

It means we are right to be passionate about investing in our family’s Emotional Intelligence. We have a responsibility to our kids, who are going to be our next generation’s leaders. If we don’t do this now, who will... and when? Teaching our kids how to label and express their emotions and then ultimately regulate those feelings is key. Let’s do this together!

If you want support developing your child’s Emotional Intelligence or your own emotions skills as a parent, reach out to me. I coach parents in creating an emotionally intelligent family culture - where kids and parents both raise their awareness of their emotions and how to manage them. Fill in the contact form below and request a free 30 min virtual consult with me!