learning about feelings- his and mine

I spent Wonder Boy’s infancy airing my frustrations around him, since he was young and didn’t seem to notice.

Then one day, months ago, I got frustrated at something he had done and yelled at him. I watched his lip quiver, his head turn down and he turned to go away, eyes swelling up with tears. It was a completely different moment than I had ever had with him, and the moment where I realized I had to stop treating him like a baby and more like a little person.

I felt horrible, and walked over and talked to him and explained why I got mad, but even though I was mad I loved him and apologized. It was a hard lesson for me, seeing my son express pain over something I had said to him.

That day I had an epiphany. I needed to make sure when I was mad at my son, I needed to say I was frustrated, disappointed, sad… I needed to better voice my emotions for him too.

He’s two, so it’s sometimes a challenge, but it’s practice for him as much as myself to voice our emotions correctly. And it helps to understand why he is crying when I wasn’t in the room when he started.

The Mother Company’s Ruby’s Studio has an amazing line of books, DVD and now apps that help children learn about feelings, giving names for how they feel and also how to express how they feel to others.

Late at night, I’ve sat with my son reading the “A Little Book About Feelings” loving the sweet stuffed pictures and making sure to say the words for feelings carefully and point out their faces on the page. And throughout the day, I am sure to use the right word for my emotion, and when he is upset I ask him how he feels, naming off the right emotion for his situation and letting him agree or say how he feels instead.

Ruby’s Studio now has apps for their feelings storybook.

I tried it out with my son and we love it! There are many little extra things to click on and experience, and it is a quieter pastime while waiting in an office or for a meal to be brought out at a restaurant.  I can tell he enjoys that Ruby is talking to him.

The Mother Company was sweet enough to give me the chance to let two readers will copies of the Ruby’s Studio “A Little Book About Feelings” app!

To enter, leave a comment on this blog with this sentence and fill in the blanks… ”I felt ___ when _____.

Winners will be chosen randomly and announced Wednesday, March 7, 2012.

You can find out more about The Mother Company and learn even more ways to talk to children about emotions on their blog. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Edited: I forgot to add- I recieved a free copy of the app for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review, which is 100 percent my own opinion.