by Susie Windle | Jul 8, 2009 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions, The Power of Play, Your Child's Brain
At times, a child’s challenging behaviors are fueled by his or her need for emotional contact with you, rather than a desire for attention. The need for emotional contact is genetically programmed, so if a child feels that connection is lost, he or she may act...
by Susie Windle | Jun 10, 2009 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions, The Power of Play, Your Child's Brain
Children can be passionately possessive of a toy, and a couple brain-based reasons are behind their feelings of ownership. First, emotional attachment releases opioids in the brain—even if the attachment is to a toy. A child gets a sense of well-being when playing...
by Susie Windle | Feb 11, 2009 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions, The Power of Play, Your Child's Brain
Anxiety is fear that is stuck. Physically, it seems to uncomfortably occupy the throat, chest, or gut. All sorts of things can make children anxious: a change of schools, a change of grade in a school, a new teacher, a friend moving, a friend mad, divorce, and death...
by Susie Windle | Jan 7, 2009 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions, Your Child's Brain
Social experience plays a part in the development of emotional understanding. In fact, preschoolers whose parents explicitly teach them about diverse emotions and frequently acknowledge their children’s emotional reactions calmly and with care are better able to judge...
by Susie Windle | Dec 17, 2008 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions, Your Child's Brain
Distinguishing between a tantrum for control and a distress tantrum is important so that you can respond in a way that will be most helpful to the development of your child. The two tantrum types require two different reactions in order to nurture essential brain...
by Susie Windle | Nov 26, 2008 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions, Your Child's Brain
Temper tantrums are the expression of intense emotional storms. Because they are so intense, temper tantrums can be frightening to the child experiencing the storm and overwhelming for a parent. To avoid the whole situation turning into a matter of who “wins,” it is...
by Susie Windle | Aug 13, 2008 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions
Everyone has all sorts of emotions. We all can feel intense joy and contentment or we can feel hurt, afraid, frustrated, sad, angry, and anxious to name a few. If we are lucky, we have found a way to express our feelings freely, safely, and constructively. If feelings...
