How to Help Your Toddler Name Their Feelings
How to Help Your Toddler Name Their Feelings
Toddlers feel everything—from joy that explodes into giggles to frustration that turns into floor-flopping meltdowns. But while the feelings come fast and strong, the words to describe them? Not so much.
That’s where you come in.
Helping your toddler name their feelings is one of the most powerful things you can do to support their emotional development. It's the first step in building emotional literacy, self-regulation, and the ability to say, “I feel ___, so I can do ___.”
Let’s break it down.
🧠 Why Naming Feelings Matters
When toddlers learn the words for their emotions, a few amazing things happen:
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They feel seen and understood
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They start to make sense of their inner world
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They’re less likely to express emotions through hitting, screaming, or shutting down
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They begin to learn that feelings are OK, not scary or wrong
Naming a feeling gives it shape—and that makes it manageable.
🗣️ 5 Ways to Help Toddlers Name Their Feelings
1. Model It Yourself
Your toddler watches everything you do. Use feeling words in your own life:
“I feel frustrated because I dropped my coffee. I’m going to take a deep breath.”
2. Use a Feelings Chart or Wheel
Visual aids help toddlers match expressions to emotions. Keep a feelings wheel on the fridge or classroom wall and make it part of your daily routine.
“Can you point to how you’re feeling today?”
3. Narrate Their Emotions Without Judgment
When they’re upset, try:
“You look really sad right now. Is that how you’re feeling?”
“It’s okay to feel angry. I’m here with you.”
This helps them connect sensations to language.
4. Use Stories and Books About Feelings
Reading together creates safe opportunities to explore emotions. (Hint: Try our book “How Am I Feeling?” – it’s perfect for toddlers learning to name emotions.)
5. Keep It Simple and Repetitive
Toddlers learn through repetition and routine. Use short phrases, real examples, and the same core feeling words (e.g., happy, sad, angry, scared, excited).
🧸 When I Feel X, I Can Do Y
This is a game-changer. Pairing emotions with actions builds emotional agency:
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When I feel mad, I can squeeze my playdough
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When I feel scared, I can hold someone’s hand
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When I feel silly, I can dance around!
Our second book in the toddler feelings series, Helping Toddlers with Feelings, expands on this idea—giving toddlers a toolkit of simple, empowering actions that match their emotions.
💛 You’re Teaching More Than Words
When you help your toddler name their feelings, you’re doing more than teaching vocabulary. You’re teaching:
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Self-awareness
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Emotional safety
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Empathy
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Communication
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That feelings come and go—and they’re all welcome here
And remember: this isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being present. Your words, your calm, your effort to name what’s going on—that’s what shapes emotional resilience.
So the next time your toddler melts into a puddle because their toast is “too toasty,” take a breath and remember:
“You’re feeling frustrated. I get it. I’m here.”
That’s where healing begins.
📚 Explore Our Toddler Feelings Series
Want to support your toddler’s emotional growth? Our books How Am I Feeling? and Helping Toddlers with Feelings are the perfect place to start. Backed by child development research and full of simple language and visuals, they’re made for little hearts and big feelings.
