Dealing with emotional toddlers, or even preschoolers who aren't too verbal or get too upset to express themselves can be a real challenge. Flashcards are a great tool to get them to express emotions, label their feelings or simply find strategies to get out of an intense tantrum.
There are a few great flashcards options in the market and you can also make your own if you are feeling creative.
To help little ones to label their emotions (and in turn, use their words to express frustration, rather than crying or screaming) we love this set, easily available on Amazon.
Our very own Tantrum Fix Kit comes with very special flashcards that were specifically designed to use during a tantrum and offer different coping mechanisms and techniques to get little kids to shift their state of mind. We recommend having your child flip through the flashcards when they are happy and calm, to get familiar with them - so when a meltdown approaches, they'll know exactly what to do (this is also reinforced with our book).
To make your very own flashcards, we love the idea of having your kids act out emotions. You take pictures of each and then you can either keep it digital in an album easily accessed from your phone, or you can print them either at home or using a local printing company or FedEx office.
When planning the photos you'll take, think of the emotions you really want your little one to learn how to verbalize - for example: Angry, Happy, Sick, Mad, Sad, Frustrated, Hungry.
Toddler flashcards can also be used to teach little ones good manners (learning please and thank you), to give tools to correct behavior (for example, toddler biting - what can you bite? an apple!) or to enrich their language.
