Teaching your toddler appropriate emotional reactions can seem impossible. They are not always aware of what each emotion means or how to express it appropriately. Children need to learn to express their emotions, good and bad, and some milestones are more difficult to articulate than others. These books can help you teach your child appropriate reactions to these emotional milestones. One caveat is that you should never tell your child how to feel. They are allowed to feel jealous of a new sibling or angry about a move; some of these feelings are normal and expected even when challenging.
Getting a New Sibling
When your mom or dad brings home a new baby, it can be both exciting and dreadful if you are three. It can be one of the hardest emotional milestones to understand. This change can be even more challenging if they live in two households. Parents who are no longer together may divide their time between the family with the child and the family without. We’re Having a Baby by Marion Cocklico can help your child transition to the oldest much easier. Sam is My Half-Brother by Lizi Boyd can also help children jump into the older sibling role when they only share one parent.
A New Sibling with Down Syndrome
Sometimes the new sibling has challenges that were not expected. There are several books that can make this emotional milestone less scary, but it is entirely normal for your child to have questions and concerns. We’ll Paint the Octopus Red by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, and Pam Devito tells the story of Isaac and Emily. Isaac will have Down syndrome when he is born, and Emily decides that it will not matter. They can still paint the octopus red.
Divorce and Separation
One of the hardest things for children to understand is the changing family dynamics that come with divorce and separation. Why Do Families Change?: Our First Talk About Separation and Divorce by Jillian Roberts and Cindy Revell can help your toddler understand the emotional milestones that they may not be prepared to experience.
Death
Sometimes, the people we love die. No matter how old you are, this is one of the hardest things to handle. Toddlers do not always understand that their loved one is gone forever. I Miss You: A First Look at Death by Pat Thomas and Leslie Harker can help your child sort their feelings after a significant loss. The book was written by a children’s psychotherapist, so emotional development is considered carefully.
Anger
While anger is not a significant emotional milestone, each of the above can bring about feelings of anger. One of the best books for helping children deal with their anger is When Sophie Gets Angry, Really Really Angry by Molly Bang. Sophie acknowledges her frustration and learns to deal with it in a healthy way.
Other Books
There are thousands of books to help children deal with the emotional milestones of potty training, growing up, and moving away. These books, such as When You Are Brave by Pat Zietlow Miller, can help your child learn to cope with the hard parts of growing up.
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