EP 41 | Recognising Emotions: The First Step to Building Emotional Competence in Early Childhood
Description
Children can't regulate feelings they don't know how to feel.
In part one of this three-part mini-series - that I'm affectionately calling Big Feelings 101 - I'm providing a compassionate, practical look at what emotional competence actually is (hint: it’s much more than just regulation), why it’s essential to how we understand and support children’s behaviour and the eight skills involved. I'll also provide a deep(ish) dive into the first two skills and how to bring them to life in your practice.
You’ll hear:
🐰 What emotional competence really means and why it’s often misunderstood
🐰 The first two foundational skills: recognising your own feelings and recognising them in others
🐰 The deep interconnection between how we recognise emotions in ourselves and in others
🐰 How interoception and theory of mind shape emotional awareness
🐰 Micro-moment that support these skills through everyday connection
This episode sets the groundwork for guiding big feelings without shame, power-over, or rewards and gives you the language to name what children actually need to become emotionally competent individuals.
PS: Very (very) mild coarse language features in this episode.
Helpful links
Connect with me on Instagram @littlebloom.consultancy
Visit my website www.littlebloomconsultancy.com.au
Articles
Implications of Carolyn Saarni’s work for preschoolers’ emotional competence
United States
