I have an emotionally sensitive child. And it is sometimes hard not to wear his emotions too!
Rather than ‘brush off’ his feelings with comments like ‘it’s okay’, ‘don’t worry about it’, ‘just let it go’, it works much better to identify with his strong feelings. I might say ‘you are really disappointed aren’t you?’, ‘that must’ve worried you a lot’ or ‘I know you wanted a turn first’.
Instead of firing him up more, he relaxes because he feels understood and supported.
This is one of the first steps in helping him to calm down and regulate his emotions. Without an understanding adult on his side, he is pretty much sure to ‘flip his lid’, where he can’t think straight, won’t let anyone in to help him and struggles to calm down for what seems like an eternity.
And of course, a hug to go with it brings even more success!
Who else can identify with one of these little sensitive ones?