Helping Children Name Their Feelings: Why Words Matter

By Twin Bears Studio

One of the first steps in emotional growth is helping children recognize and name their feelings. When kids learn words like “happy,” “frustrated,” or “nervous,” they gain a powerful tool to express what’s happening inside them.

Naming emotions helps children feel understood and gives them a way to communicate needs without frustration or acting out. It also builds their emotional vocabulary for the future — a key skill for empathy and problem-solving.

Tips for helping children name their feelings:

• Use storybooks or everyday situations to point out emotions.

• Play feelings games where you guess or act out emotions.

• Model your own feelings aloud (“I feel a little tired today”).

• Encourage your child to describe their feelings regularly.

At Twin Bears Studio, our stories with Bree and Bram are designed to introduce emotions in a relatable way, making it easier for children to find the words that match how they feel.