Practice When It's Calm

The worst time to teach a feeling word is mid-meltdown — nobody learns vocabulary while flooded. Build the skill when things are easy, so it's ready when they're hard.

Work it into ordinary days:

• At dinner — everyone shares one feeling from their day
• At bedtime — ask what the best and worst moments felt like
• On a walk — name the mood out loud: "I feel calm right now"

A child who has named feelings a hundred times in quiet moments can reach for that skill during the next storm — exactly when it matters most.