Your toddler’s language and the emergence of emotional self-regulation

Have you noticed your toddler becoming aware of their emotions and beginning to use words to describe some of them? You may hear them start to say how they feel; this can be helpful for your toddler, as it helps them to regulate their emotions.  

Emotions can be very powerful for toddlers, as can the feelings that come with them.  

For your toddler to explain their feelings is a very tricky skill. They’ll need lots of experience to understand fully that their feelings are connected to an emotion and know the words to describe it. 

They may be starting to understand how they are feeling and can express some emotions to you verbally. 

However, they will still need your support to regulate their emotions and might sometimes find it difficult to explain how they are feeling.

You can support them by talking about feelings. 

Describe what you think they might be feeling and suggest something they could do that may help them to feel calm. It’s handy for your toddler to build some understanding of how to make their body feel better when they have experienced big emotions. 

When your toddler has a hard time identifying how they are feeling, they may become frustrated, or have difficulty calming down after an exciting day. 

Yet, when their feelings are acknowledged and accepted, it can help them feel better. Using words to help them recognise what emotions feel like and how to tell you about them helps them build a strong emotional foundation. 

Having this understanding gives them an idea of how to regulate their emotions and may help them calm themselves when they are super excited or feeling upset. 

Any experience your toddler has of their own emotions provides them with opportunities to learn how to identify and express them. 

Learning to describe emotions is a big adventure, and your toddler is just getting started. Supporting them now in understanding their feelings and finding words to describe them lets them know that it's ok to have feelings and it’s good to talk about them.