Helping Children Understand and Manage Their Emotions

2 November 2025

Helping Children Understand and Manage Their Emotions

When children learn to understand their emotions—and the emotions they see in others—they become better at managing their responses to big feelings. Emotional awareness isn’t something that happens overnight; it begins in the earliest months of life.

From as young as six months old, babies start recognising emotional expressions on their parents’ faces. They look to you for cues—if you seem calm, they feel safe; if you look frightened, they’ll likely become anxious too. This pattern continues throughout childhood, with children often mirroring the emotions of their parents.

That’s why it’s so important for parents and caregivers to learn strategies, like those in The Magic Coat, to role model healthy ways of managing emotions.

Recognising and Naming Emotions

When we teach children how to recognise emotions as they happen, we give them the tools to express those feelings in healthy ways—without hurting themselves or others.

For example, when a child feels angry or frustrated, it’s helpful for them to recognise how that emotion feels inside their body. I often describe anger as feeling like a volcano rumbling in your tummy—and if we don’t learn to manage it, it can erupt into shouting or unkind behaviour.

That’s where The Magic Coat strategies come in. One simple and effective tool is the Stress Less Poem, which helps children calm down and refocus when they start to feel overwhelmed:

Close your eyes and count to ten.
Write a help note with your pen.
Visualise a peaceful place.
Make sure you are in your own space.
Relax tight muscles in your arms and hands.
Now you can carry on with your plans.

Anger Isn’t “Bad”—It’s Human

Many children grow up thinking that anger is a “bad” emotion or that they’re being “naughty” for expressing it. But anger is perfectly normal—it’s part of being human. What matters is learning how to recognise and manage it in positive ways.

As adults, it’s important to remember that all emotions have a purpose. Even feelings like anxiety can protect us by helping us stay alert and cautious in new situations. When children learn that emotions are not good or bad—they just are—they become more confident and resilient in dealing with them.

Building Emotional Vocabulary with Obi the Octopus

In The Magic Coat world, Obi the Octopus helps children develop the language they need to talk about their feelings. Once children can name what they’re feeling, they can reach into their “Magic Coat” for the right tools to help manage those emotions.

By nurturing emotional awareness, parents and teachers give children a lifelong skill—the ability to understand themselves and connect with others in a meaningful way.

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