Our emotional life is long and complex. And there are many emotions that we experience in every situation that we live.
Let’s face it, sometimes as adults it is difficult for us to understand what we feel ; So imagine how your child feels when he can’t even name what he’s feeling.
“Our emotions are there to be felt, but not to dominate our life, or blind our vision, or steal our future, or turn off our energy, because, when we do, they will become toxic.”
-Bernardo Stamateas-
For this reason, it is very important to teach our children what emotions they experience and how to learn to identify.
The six basic emotions
Here is a brief guide to emotions that will allow you to explain each emotion to your little ones, always adapting your language to their level of understanding and age. Let’s start by understanding the six basic emotions :
Joy
It is what we feel when something is pleasant to us . When we are happy we laugh and want to do many things or be with people that make us feel good.
Surprise
It is when something happens to us that we did not expect. It makes us very curious.
Afraid
Fear is the emotion we feel when we believe that there is some danger . We usually hide or flee from there as soon as possible.
Go to
When we don’t like something we feel anger. It makes us want to yell or hit things.
Disgust
When we dislike something or find it disgusting , we feel disgusted. This makes us want to get as far away as possible from what produces it.
Sadness
Sadness is when we feel bad about something, for example: when we lose something we like. It makes us want to cry and be alone for a while.
“Intelligence is the ability to direct behavior well, choosing goals, taking advantage of information and regulating emotions.”
-José Antonio Marina-
Other important emotions: what they are and how do we explain them to children
These are the basic emotions, but they do not cover everything we experience in our lives, and it is from them that a wide range of feeling options are generated.
You can explain to your children as follows: ” In addition to feeling these emotions, we can also feel … “:
Proud
It is when you feel good and satisfied about something you have done or achieved.
Accepted
You feel accepted when you notice that others love you and allow you to be who you are .
Powerful
It is when you feel capable of achieving everything you set your mind to.
Interested
When your attention is focused on something or someone.
peaceful
It is when you feel peaceful and calm, and you don’t feel like arguing with anyone.
Optimistic
You are optimistic when you feel that everything is going to turn out very well and you are excited.
Guilty
When you feel guilty you feel bad, it may be due to something you have done that you know was not right.
Abandoned
It is feeling alone, with no one there for you.
Desperate
It is when you do not know very well what you feel but you do know that you do not feel well. You feel tense and you don’t really know how to act.
Depressed
It happens when you feel a deep sadness that makes you want to cry and you don’t feel like doing anything, even what you like a lot.
Alone
You can feel lonely when there is no one to accompany you, you may even have people nearby, but you feel that they are not paying attention to you.
Boring
Boredom occurs when you want to do something you like but can’t. It can also happen to you when you are doing something that you don’t like at all .
Confused
It happens when things happen that you don’t expect to happen and that you don’t understand very well. So you don’t really know what is happening and that causes you confusion.
Enthusiastic
You get excited when you experience or see something that you like a lot, that captivates you, something that you admire.
Humiliated
It is when you feel that you are not being treated well, that you are treated as someone inferior in any way.
Anxious
When you are anxious you feel very restless . You may feel a little scared and tense, you may even feel your heart beating very fast.
Afraid
If you are scared it is because you do not feel safe or you think you could get hurt. It feels like fear.
Full of hate
You can use this expression when you have an intense rage . Something that annoys you a lot and that makes you feel furious.
Threatened
You feel threatened when you perceive that there is something that can cause you some kind of harm, be it physical or emotional.
Injured
Feeling hurt is when something has happened or done to you that makes you feel very sad .
Aggressive
It is when you are very angry and want to hurt another person or an object.
Frustrated
It is an unpleasant feeling that you feel when things do not happen as you expect or want them to be.
far away
Being distant is when we act cold , as if others don’t matter.
Rejected
It is when you feel that you are not taken into account by others.
Unsafe
Feeling insecure is when you don’t really know what to do. You may have doubts about your abilities and capabilities.
Disappointed
It is when your expectations are not met , that is, what you expected from a particular person, object or event.
Dissatisfied
It is when you do not feel satisfied or well with the results of something.
Keep in mind…
This is just a small guide that can help you with your little one, so that he learns a little more about emotions. These words can help him tell you exactly what is happening to him .
And it is important that your child learns to recognize his emotions so that he can put words to what he feels.
This will be of great help when you have to express what is happening to you, as well as when it comes to making others understand you.
“Socrates’ teaching ‘know thyself’ to be aware of one’s feelings at the very moment in which they take place is the cornerstone of emotional intelligence.”
-Daniel Goleman-
In addition, understanding your own emotions will also help you acquire more resources based on empathy that allow you to establish healthy interpersonal relationships.
“The more open we are to our own feelings, the better we can read those of others.”
-Daniel Goleman-
Photos | Cover (pixabay)
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