Preparing Kiddos for Future Development

Teachers, it takes Grit to consider the lifespan development of kids when applying social emotional learning (SEL) in the classroom. Psychologists know that for adults, the ability to step back from thought patterns - to be aware of them as thoughts - is one of the biggest achievements in development. It is the foundation of mature critical thinking.

But did you know that this process begins in early childhood? The ability to step back from emotions - to be aware of them as feelings - is perhaps the biggest development for growing students in your classroom. This is what allows them to wait for the second marshmallow in the famous ‘marshmallow experiment.’ It is the beginning of “emotional regulation,” which is the foundation for SEL. Lots of research shows that the earlier this happens for children, the better their outcomes as adults.

Here are some ways you can use HappySad to help your students on their path to emotional awareness and regulation:

• Noticing Feelings

Awareness is the first step. With young children, it can be evident from their expressions and body language to you, but they may not notice it themselves. The best example here is the natural question, “Can you tell me how you’re feeling?” Pointing to a HappySad cloud is the original reason we built this app! You can also use our ‘Meet The Emotions’ printout to keep handy!

• Naming Feelings

The “naming” step begins the process of helping students take their feelings as an object of their awareness. Getting some distance from feelings does not mean they are avoiding or repressing that feeling. Here are some examples:  “Are you feeling more Confused or more Frustrated? Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference. If you’re a little bit mad, then you’re probably frustrated.” “Are you feeling Surprised or Excited?” “When you are feeling surprised, you want to know what’s going on; when you’re excited, you might feel like smiling a lot.”

• Normalizing Feelings

The classic children’s book 💩 “Everyone Poops” 💩 is a great way to normalize this natural part of life for small children. And normalizing feelings is similar to this - the 8 core feelings in the HappySad app are generally considered to be cross-cultural and developmentally consistent. Here are some examples: “It’s ok to feel Sad sometimes, we all feel sad every now and then.”  “I’m so glad you are Happy, that makes me happy too!”  

By Noticing, Naming, and Normalizing, you are helping your students establish the foundation for emotional regulation and emotional development. Regulation is what helps us manage feelings; and development is how we take raw materials and build our identity over time. We as care providers can set students up for success by helping them learn this process. A little dash of Teaching Grit and utilizing this quick framework can go a long way in the future and, in the short term, help you manage a joy-filled classroom.

Written by Happy Sad’s Chief Resident Psychologist, David Zeitler.