Pre-K GSRP teacher Phil Zott shares how parents and teachers can stay calm and help children work through big feelings.
When a child is melting down, our first instinct is often to make it stop. 
But behavior is communication. There’s something underneath the behavior that needs our attention.
In this episode, Rhonda Meyers talks with Heartfelt pre-K GSRP teacher Phil Zott about helping children through big feelings. 
Young children don’t always have the words for worry or frustration. Sometimes those feelings come out as crying or hitting while other children simply withdraw.
Before trying to fix the problem, Phil connects with them first. He gets down on the child’s level and lets them know he’s there for them:
[00:10:15] “I'm not here to just tell you how you're feeling. I'm here to help you understand how you're feeling.”
That also means noticing your own emotions. If you need a moment to regulate before helping a child, take it. Then come back ready to connect.
[00:33:54] “They are trying their best to regulate, . . . and it is our job to show and model how to regulate. . . . They will understand that love and we will get past it.”
Rhonda adds that if adults connect before correcting, children begin to believe they have agency. They feel confident in solving their own problems.
Ultimately, children want to feel safe. Helping them learn to navigate their emotions helps them know that they are.

Regulating All the Big Feelings (for Children and Adults)

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