STUFFED!

After you and your child have finished eating and you’re having a private family moment, start the conversation.

Say: We just finished a delicious meal. Now, close your eyes and focus on your stomach. How does it feel? How does it feel compared to when you first came to the table? (Give your child some time to think of their answers, but you want them to describe how full they feel.)

Tap your belly. How does it feel?

Say: Just like our bellies, our hearts can become full. When someone compliments us, for example, our hearts can become full with happiness or love. Our hearts can also become full when someone hurts our feelings or makes us angry.

Emotions and feelings are completely normal. But if we don’t manage them, they’ll come spilling out of us like a volcano! We become stuffed with our emotions, and we have to find a way to get them out. Before we get to that point, though, there are some things we can do to “un-stuff” our emotions. Let’s come up with some ideas.

Brainstorm with your child some productive ways they can release their emotions next time they become sad, angry or frustrated:

• Talk to you about it
• Punch a pillow
• Draw a picture
• Run outside
• Journal

Say: Challenging emotions are completely okay. Even Jesus cried out loudly from big emotions when He was on earth! (John 11:35, Hebrews 5:7). But as we grow up, we need to find new ways to manage our emotions. Try these strategies the next time you get frustrated.

Share the hope of God’s Word and pray together with your child.