First Feelings
“Use your words.”
That simple, three-word sentence reflects a not-so-simple developmental task on the journey to emotional literacy. When a young child experiences an emotion, he responds. That means he jumps up and down when he’s excited, hits when he’s angry, or throws a tantrum when he’s frustrated.
Gradually, a young child learns to match a word to what he’s feeling. That’s why the sentence “use your words” echoes throughout the early childhood years.
A note to parents, with suggestions to help a child cope with the specific emotion, is included after each story. A brief prayer, repeated at the conclusion of all twelve chapters, emphasizes the biblical truth that is true for people of all ages:
No matter what I’m feeling
at night or through the day,
help me, dear God, remember:
You’ll listen when I pray.
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