Family Early Help
Thinking About Emotional Literacy - Naming Feelings
Emotional Literacy is described as the building block for emotional intelligence: "let us sort out all those feelings, name them, and begin to understand their causes and effects - to put feelings into words so those feelings can be understood".
In order to help a child experiencing big feelings, we will need to feel confident to support them to name their feelings. If we can accurately name feelings, we can work on the right strategy to cope with or manage them.
You could also ask"what physical sensations do you have when you feel this e.g. foot tapping, hiding, lump in my throat, tired, hot etc)", so you can connect with the childs lived experience of the feeling, and so they can connect the feeling with the physical sensation in their body.
Here is an example of a feelings wheel which you can use to think about naming feelings:
You can read more about emotional literacy here
https://www.habitsforwellbeing.com/what-is-emotional-literacy/
Window Of Tolerance
This is a helpful way to explore managing feelings and emotions, whats going on when we feel dis-regulated, which can lead into discussion about what the parent or child might need to help them regulate. There is a link to a PDF below or you can right click the image to save it and send it electronically.
The Three R's - Regulate, Relate, Reason
This from Beacon House is a helpful starting point for conversations about managing disregulated or distressed behaviour for the child or the parent. There is a link to the PDF version below or you can right-click the image and save it.
Finding Safe Uncertainty
This is a lovely model to help a parent to work through feelings and 'dropping the anchor so the boat stays steady until the storm passes', as discussed in our parental emotional health webinar in June. You can right click the image to save it:
And you can find out more about safe uncertainty in these documents
Safe Uncertainty Explainer - Barry Mason (from Research in Practice)
Unpacking Safe Uncertainty - Barry Mason
Virtual Feelings Scavenger Hunt
A PDF that can be viewed on phones, or sent by email or Mailsmart, to help name big feelings and identify what we do when we feel them
Virtual Feelings Scavenger Hunt
Feelings Reflection Journal
A PDF to help identify what helps when we feel big feelings. Could be posted via Mailsmart, or could be shown on a phone, completed with the worker writing it down, and then posted or emailed to the family or photo taken and sent via text or whatsapp.
Feelings Cards
a PDF which can be emailed, posted on Mailsmart, or shown on a phone to help a child identify their feelings today and explore them with you
My Feelings Workbook
a PDF with individual pages that can be emailed or sent through to post to explore each feeling and what we do when we feel it
The Worryometer
Borrowed from Cafcass, this is a nice tool to use to help a child or parent to assess how big or small the worry feels and to explore coping techniques. Right click on the image to save it.
Blob Tree
A way to help a child or parent show you what they're feeling now and what they'd like to be feeling. Ask them to select or colour in a blob that represents how they're feeling and one for how they'd like to feel (or they can draw a blob themselves on the picture). Helps reflection, future-facing questions, and exploration. Can be emailed/text/posted, or shown on a screen. Right click to save, or download on the link below
Blob Bridge
Similar to Blob Tree but uses the bridge analogy. Ask the parent or child to tell you which blob they would pick to represent their feelings today (and explore which blob they might prefer to be). They can draw a blob themselves if they prefer. Supports curiosity, reflection and future-facing questions. Can be posted/emailed/texted or shown on a screen
