Mom Teaches Her 6-Year-Old How To Control Her Emotions, And Gets Applauded

We're all born with the ability to feel, but not with the tools for knowing how to express and release our feelings. Children who act out are often projecting an underlying emotion that they have yet to understand and process. Negative feelings like anger or sadness can take years to control.

When a 6-year-old started being extra rude all of a sudden, rather than get mad at her, her mom tried to help her understand why instead.

The Mom Noticed A Change In Her Daughter's Attitude

It all started when the mother noticed a change in her daughter's behavior. She could tell that her recent rudeness was likely a projection of an underlying negative emotion.

However, it was up to the daughter to explain exactly what she was feeling.

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The Daughter Didn't Know Why She Felt Upset

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The little girl didn't know exactly what she was feeling, only that it made her upset. It seemed like up to this point, she hadn't stopped to ask herself why, but was simply trying to bottle it up.

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Once she was finally asked, she released her emotions for the first time and started to cry.

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The Mom Tried To Explain Why We Project

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In her young words, the only way the girl could explain why she was projecting her emotions was that her brain tells her to be rude.

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The mom took the opportunity to reassure her that she's not alone. She explained that many people deal with their emotions by taking them out on others, even without realizing it.

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The Daughter Was Relieved She Wasn't Alone

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The mom made a great point to differentiate between feeling upset and taking that out on those who don't deserve it. She explained that negative emotions are natural, and that even she has them.

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The difference is in knowing when to take a minute to process them rather than projecting them.

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They Practiced And Practiced

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The mom could've easily gotten her daughter in trouble for her behavior and asserted herself as an authority figure. However, even if her daughter had listened, she wouldn't have understood why, and the behavior would have recurred.

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Now, she was given an outlet. It might take a few tries to get it right, but at least she will no longer feel like she has to bottle up all her emotions.

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Emotional Maturity Teaches Coping

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You're never too young to feel, so you should never be too young to understand how to cope with these feelings.

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The younger we teach our kids how to deal with their emotions, the more time they have to practice those skills and develop their emotional maturity. This will make for better adults.

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The Mom Was Praised For Her Understanding

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This exchange went viral as many parents praised @DrChaeEd for her ability to see the situation from her kid's perspective.

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As adults, we can be guilty of forgetting how new and overwhelming the world can be from the eyes of a child. It's up to us to give them the tools to navigate it.

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Learning While Forming

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Many Twitter users also highlighted that this situation could've gone a lot differently.

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The child could have missed a valuable lesson or even felt traumatized for releasing their feelings if they had gotten in trouble. It never hurts to check in and ask them about their feelings.

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Other Parents Use The Same Approach

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It turns out that Dr. Chae wasn't alone in her practice. Other parents found it extremely effective to take a moment before getting their kid in trouble, to ask them why they were behaving badly.

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It's a way to give them permission to express all the feelings they're holding onto.

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This Can Help Children See Adults As People Too

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The other benefit of checking in with kids like this is that it turns the tables around. It a way of reminding them that their negative behavior affects those around them too.

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This is a great way to remind kids that even their parents are people, with feelings and an ability to learn from mistakes.

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It's A Hard Lesson For Adults, Too

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The great lesson here is that emotional maturity is not only a lesson for kids, but for everyone. It's hard for anyone to control their emotions, especially in the heat of the moment, yet it's possible.

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It all comes down to taking a moment to realize that you're not acting like yourself and asking yourself why.