Helping Toddlers with Their Feelings… and Let’s Face It, All of Us

Helping Toddlers with Their Feelings… and Let’s Face It, All of Us

Let’s be real: supporting toddlers with their feelings isn’t just about them—it’s also about us. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or carer, helping young children navigate big emotions means we have to show up for them with patience, presence, and a whole lot of self-compassion.

That’s why I wrote Helping Toddlers with Feelings—the second book I recommend in our “Helping Toddlers” series. It’s not just a story. It’s a gentle guide for the big people, too.

Why Toddlers + Emotions = Magic (and Meltdowns)

Toddlers are wired to feel things deeply. They’re still learning how to express, regulate, and recover from emotional overwhelm. And here’s the thing: that’s developmentally appropriate.

In Helping Toddlers with Feelings, I wanted to show that emotions aren’t bad or something to fix—they’re messages. When a toddler feels frustration, fear, or sadness, it’s an opportunity to connect, not correct.

What if we could teach our little ones:
“When I feel X, I can do Y.”

• When I feel sad, I can cuddle my teddy.

• When I feel angry, I can stomp my feet.

• When I feel nervous, I can hold someone’s hand.

This is what empowerment looks like at age two: learning that we can feel an emotion and still have choices.

The Power of Our Words (and Our Reactions)

We often say, “Do what I say, not what I do.” But toddlers? They watch everything. They learn emotional regulation not from our words, but from our tone, our breath, our body language.

So when we take a deep breath instead of snapping…
When we say “I need a moment to calm down”…
When we cry and show it’s okay to feel…

We’re giving toddlers permission to be human.

And when we lose it? (Because we all do.) That’s a teaching moment too. Saying “I’m sorry I yelled, I was feeling overwhelmed” teaches more than any storybook ever could.

Be Kind to Yourself (and Your Toddler)

If your toddler is melting down in aisle five of the supermarket, you’re not failing. They’re learning. You’re learning. Everyone’s nervous system is having a moment—and that’s okay.

Supporting emotional development means supporting ourselves, too. Fill your own cup. Breathe. Take that moment. Remember: your self-regulation is the foundation for theirs.

Helping Toddlers with Feelings was written as a bridge between children and caregivers, a way to build shared language, emotional empowerment, and resilience. It’s the second book I recommend after How Am I Feeling? because it helps take things a step further—into action, into choice, into “I can do something with this feeling.”

💬 Final Thoughts

Helping toddlers with feelings isn’t about stopping the tears or avoiding the outbursts. It’s about teaching them (and ourselves) that every feeling has a place—and a path forward.

If you’d like to explore the full Helping Toddlers series, or use our tools in your early learning centre or home, click here to explore our book collection

Let’s raise a generation that knows:
💛 Feelings are safe.
💛 Emotions are messengers.
💛 I am allowed to feel.