Here you will find a bank of resources for you and your little ones to get involved with together. The idea behind "Friendship Friday" is to teach your children how to develop their emotional intelligence. It's about spending focused time together to really explore the different emotions we feel and further solidify the trusting relationship you already have with your little people.
Let's get creative with our Mood Shapes
* Draw some shapes on a piece of paper, whatever pops into your head. Take it in turns until you fill your page * Next pick a shape, decide what emotion it reminds you of, why does it remind you of that emotion, can you remember a time feeling that way * Give that emotion a colour, colour in the shape * Now, whoever isn't drawing needs to show that emotion on their face while the other draws the facial expression inside the coloured shape * Write the emotion underneath the shape
Repeat until all the shapes are filled! Take turns and enjoy being together
Let your conversations flow, share your experiences together. Allow your little people to see that as adults we feel the same emotions! Let them in and see when you have felt angry, tell them how you dealt with it. Our children learn best from their role models. THATS YOU!
I'd love to see what you come up with so please send me over your Mood Shapes!
To watch a short video example, click the link below!
Does your little one display signs of anger? Are they unsure how to cope when frustration arises?
Try dragon breathing with Worley
It's important to teach our little ones about anger as an emotion as it often gets strongly discouraged. It is totally OK to feel anger, as adults we feel it too! However, it is vital that we allow our children the chance to understand anger. How it makes us feel and what it sometimes wants us to do.
When discussing anger as an emotion, ensure you separate it from your little one. Talk about is like it's an anger dragon in their tummy and they are going to learn how to calm their dragon. They're going to find new ways to help their dragon deal with anger. By taking the emotion away from your child removes the pressure of it being about them. It allows them to understand without feeling targeted or being "told off".
They will easily be able to tell you that the reactions they have shown when feeling angry upset them, or they feel bad about what they did when they got angry. This itself plays a role in developing emotional intelligence. Now it's about giving them some alternatives... Dragon breathing is a fab way to start
Ask your little one to imagine they are a dragon. Their dragon has become angry and is breathing out flames. What colour would their flames be? Can they breathe out the anger and imagine the flames of the colour they chose? Join the discussion and share what colour your flames would be. This encourages our children that adults get angry too, it is normal!
Now ask them to describe what colour the flames would turn if their dragon were to feel calm? Can they now try and breathe calm flames, can they imagine the colours? Praise your child as they begin to show how their dragon is becoming calm "ooo that's a great calming colour. I can feel your dragon is becoming more relaxed."
Really connect with your child and watch as their mood changes when they are able to calm their dragon.
My favourite kind of day... spending time together and really connecting.
It may sound like a really simple activity today, however the benefits are incredible.
All today's task involves is picking a board game or something similar that your little one really enjoys. Work together to get the game set up, ask lots of questions about how the game works and let your little person take the reigns. Build their confidence by allowing them to take the leading role.
While playing the game, TALK, about absolutely anything. LAUGH together and simply enjoy the togetherness this activity brings you.
Drop in wee questions about why they like the game, how does it make them feel... boosting their emotional intelligence and ability to talk about their feelings.
Playing games is also a fabulous way to help children with sharpening their ability to focus, challenging the brain, improving language skills and also soothing anxiety
Let's play together! Don't forget to let me know what games you've been up to!