Simple ideas to debug everyday life with kids

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Emotion

All content connected to this topic, including articles and resources.

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13 items
Camille watches Malo, absorbed in a toy truck among the wrapping paper from his opened gift.
Articles
Emotion

He took the present without saying thank you. So I spoke for him.

Does your child receive a gift without saying thank you? We can teach manners and gratitude without turning “thank you” into a word they recite on command.

A conceptual watercolour of a terracotta clock surrounded by pale echoes, suggesting comparison around nursery pickup times.
Articles
Self-careEmotion

There is no nursery pickup race. My brain compares anyway.

Do you often collect your child later than other families? Pickup time can trigger guilt, even though it says very little about your whole day or the kind of parent you are.

Nora looks at Iris, whose hands are covered in foam beside a sink full of soap bubbles.
Articles
BoundariesEmotion

Her hands were covered in soap. But apparently it wasn’t her.

Does your child deny something that is plainly obvious? At three, that little “no” may not mean the same thing as an adult lie.

A watercolour illustration of a child doing an activity book with his grandmother in a warm home.
Articles
EmotionAnger

What if sometimes we simply need to move on?

Is your child still angry despite all the words, explanations and suggestions? Sometimes stopping the discussion and changing direction can help everyone move forward.

A watercolour illustration of Marie making a water bottle talk to help Gabriel smile again in the car.
Articles
EmotionAngerPlay

When the right tools are not enough

Is your child still angry after you have tried every tool you know? Sometimes no phrase can make a big feeling disappear, and what is needed most is time and presence.

A watercolour illustration of a young child trying to reach a low open window in a bright bathroom.
Articles
BoundariesEmotion

When repeating the rule stops working, I tell him how I feel

Stuck in a power struggle even though the rule is clear? Saying how you feel can sometimes change the dynamic without changing the boundary.

An abstract watercolour showing an emotional storm becoming calmer around a book.
Books & resources
EmotionAngerBoundaries

The book that helped me when the big meltdowns began

Looking for a book to help with a young child’s big meltdowns? This one gave me practical tools without promising a miracle method.

Marie pushes Gabriel in his pushchair beside an imaginary unicorn, with Angelina in a baby carrier.
Articles
EmotionPlayImagination

When explanations stop working, I invent a unicorn

Is your child too overwhelmed to hear your explanations? Play and imagination can sometimes help you get through the moment without changing the boundary.

Gabriel throws a stick to show how big his anger feels during a walk with his mother and their husky, Shadow.
Articles
EmotionAnger

I asked my son to show me how big his anger was

Is your child very angry and struggling to find words? Asking them to show how big the feeling is can make it visible and easier to move through.

An abstract watercolour showing a closed checkout, apples and a written note as a big feeling begins to settle.
Articles
EmotionAnger

When writing helps a big feeling settle

Is your child still overwhelmed after a big emotional moment? Writing down what happened can help them put the experience somewhere and feel heard.

A watercolour illustration of a mother sitting beside her sad child.
Articles
EmotionAngerBoundaries

Before we correct, let’s start by listening

Is your child overwhelmed? Before correcting, explaining or finding a solution, acknowledging the feeling can help lower the tension.

Gabriel tears paper to express his frustration while his mother sits nearby, calm and attentive.
Articles
EmotionAnger

When feelings are too big for words

Is your child overwhelmed by a big feeling? Drawing, playing, moving or tearing paper can give that emotion another way out.

A child and an adult turn a scribble into a drawing on a sheet of paper.
Articles
Emotion

When the words won’t come, let’s write them down

Is your child struggling to talk about how they feel? Writing, drawing or making a list can help them express emotions another way.