Dealing with Disappointment

By Elizabeth Crary

Book Overview

Walking parents through the concept of emotional competency, this practical manual argues that it begins by teaching children to identify and acknowledge their feelings. The book provides exercises and examples that demonstrate how children--including toddlers--can cope with their emotions, using problem-solving tools and self-calming techniques such as exercise or a few minutes alone with a favorite book. The straightforward advice provided will counsel parents on how to survive their children's emotional meltdowns and help them think through how to prevent future problems. Just as importantly, it teaches caregivers how to remain calm themselves so that they can recognize and manage both the causes and results of children's frustration.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1884734758
• ISBN13: 9781884734755
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Parenting Press
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Excellent book for handling feelings

This is my favorite parenting (and lifeskills) book for learning how to identify, process, and master one's feelings. It is so practical and really applies to any age of child/adult and parenting style. The goal of the book is to empower kids (and parents) to be responsible for their own feelings by identifying and handling them in appropriate ways. A variety of techniques are recommended depending on the age of the child and the child's own particular personality. (From art to music to reading to physical exercises and so much more). The author suggests that for each year of age a child has, they should develop that many coping mechanisms when they are upset for how to get their feelings under control and process them. This book strikes an excellent balance between the one extreme that says "You have no business feeling that way - just deal with it" which leads to stuffing emotions and angry outbursts, and the other extreme which focuses so much on talking about feelings "You're angry, you're upset, tell me how you feel, let's focus on your feelings for hours ad nauseum" that the child feels trapped by their own feelings and isn't given tools for moving beyond the situation. Highly highly recommend this book! You as the parent will also come away with new and better coping skills for yourself.

Filled from cover to cover with practical guidance

Written by Elizabeth Crary (a parent educator of 25 years' experience), Dealing With Disappointment: Helping Kids Cope When Things Don't Go Their Way offers parents, teachers, child care providers, and anyone else who works with children a straightforward guidance to teaching children how to meet and deal with seemingly insurmountable challenges. From learning to recognize when children are truly upset or shaken; to the dangers of trying to make or keep children happy at all times; to teaching young ones self-calming and problem-solving skills with step-by-step guides and games; to learning how to keep one's cool when the kids lose theirs, Dealing With Disappointment is an excellent and strongly recommended resource filled from cover to cover with positive and practical guidance and guidelines.