Books as “edutainment” – A great way to teach emotional regulation
Self regulation requires a set of skills children need to learn just like riding a bike or reading. No one is born knowing how to handle the huge variety of emotions and experiences we get to manage as humans. To make it even more challenging learning to self regulate is REALLY complex, much more so than learning to throw a ball for example. And yet so often we tell kids “you should know better” or worse – we punish them when they react impulsively to a situation.
We might also accidentally reward the children that are able to mask or numb their emotions, which creates a whole other set of issues. The sweet spot comes when we teach children not to be afraid of their emotions, but to feel them and find their way through them. So how do we help these tiny humans learn these BIG skills?
Helping children develop these skills requires a lot of patience and practice in a supportive environment with caring and responsive adults. But we can’t just pull up a daily sound bite from Brene Brown or Mel Robbins. We have to get a bit more creative.
There are so many incredible tools to help children understand these concepts. Setting up an engaging environment, providing ample opportunities for play, playing games, and using tools such as puppets or dolls are all great tools. I am also a HUGE fan of books and stories.
There is a reason that stories have been used since the beginning of time to pass down cultural wisdom, values and knowledge. They are educational yes, but if crafted right, they are engaging, interesting, and fun.
However not all children’s books are created equal. There are some pretty terrible books out there. I use the following criteria to select a great book:
- Is it engaging with compelling characters and an interesting story?
- Is it age appropriate? (Too many words and you’ll loose the toddlers immediately)
- What is the messaging of the story? (If it’s layered in shame, I’ll pass)
- Does it show diversity?
- Is the artwork or illustrations “quality”? Commercialized?
I’ve put together a list of 25 of my favorite books to help children learn about their emotions and how to manage them in healthy ways. You can find them linked directly on Amazon List, along with a few other tools to help children improve their emotional intelligence.
Do you have a favorite book that isn’t on my list? Tell me in the comments!
