Your little one picks up on so much more than you think. We don’t need you shoving flashcards in our face that have the stupid faces on them for us to conceptualize emotions. That always pissed me off and was not helpful. What did help me learn emotions was observing others interact.

The same as any kid would.

Shocking, I know.

We can read facial expressions and body language and the energy in the room better than you can. Those are necessities when you can’t talk to anybody. You don’t know unless you are one of us what a day in our body feels like. Not being able to do what you want, and not being able to STOP doing what you DON’T want, feels like agony. On top of this, we can’t communicate. We can’t regulate ourselves. And on top of THAT, we have adults ordering us around all day long.

If you were us, would you be frustrated? Would you yell or cry when you’ve had enough? Would it help to be scolded for said yelling and crying?

Reflect on this when you begin to lose patience with us.