Most children need help regulating their emotions. In fact, their increasing ability to express their feelings in constructive ways rather than impulsive or hurtful ones, is recognized as a critical factor in a child’s psychological health, benefiting all areas of their life.
Did you, or are you planning to, see the the movie Inside Out with your Little? There is a lot to be learned from the movie about emotions and how we deal with them (don’t worry — it’s hilarious and fun too!).
Here’s a great blog post about the film from Meg Zweiback, who specializes in teaching children emotional self regulation and helping parents to understand, accept and manage their children’s behavior.
And here are some questions and conversation starters to talk with your Little about the movie.
Who was your favorite character? What did you like most about him/her?
Do you remember the names of the different emotions? Can you make a face that represents that emotion? When might you feel this emotion?
What scene do you remember best? Why do you think that is?
What did the parents say or do when Riley was feeling sadness or anger? Did you like what they did or said? How do you think that made Riley feel?
How do you think Sadness made Bing Bong feel better? What did she do or say? Why do you think this made Bing Bong feel better?
Is sadness a bad feeling? Why or why not?
How do you think Joy felt when she realized that Sadness is an equally important emotion as Joy?
What do you normally do when you are feeling Angry? Sad? Fearful? Joyful? Disgust?
Did you like the ending? Why or why not?
How would you feel moving to a new school?