May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a perfect time to help children recognize, understand, and express their feelings in healthy ways. Emotions can be big, confusing, and sometimes scary, but when kids learn to name their feelings, they gain confidence, self-awareness, and tools to navigate life’s challenges.

Why Naming Feelings Matters

Children who can identify their emotions are better equipped to:

• Communicate their needs and thoughts

• Solve problems calmly

• Build stronger relationships with friends and family

• Understand how their feelings impact their behavior

Helping kids name feelings doesn’t have to be intimidating. With the right tools and guidance, children can learn to recognize emotions without fear or judgment.

Introducing Lil’ Iguana’s Feelings Calendar

Lil’ Iguana’s Feelings Calendar is a fun and interactive resource designed to help children explore emotions daily. Each day, kids can:

• Identify how they are feeling using kid-friendly language

• Track patterns in their emotions

• Start conversations about why they feel a certain way

The calendar provides prompts and questions that make it easy for parents, caregivers, and teachers to guide discussions about emotions, creating a safe space for children to express themselves.

Tips for Using the Feelings Calendar

1. Make it a Daily Habit
Spend a few minutes each morning or evening talking about how your child is feeling.

2. Use Open-Ended Questions
Encourage reflection with questions like, “What made you feel happy today?” or “How did you calm down when you were upset?”

3. Validate All Feelings
Remind children that all emotions are okay. Happiness, sadness, frustration, or excitement are all normal and worth talking about.

4. Connect Feelings to Actions
Help children understand how their emotions influence choices and behavior. Ask, “How can we respond kindly when we feel frustrated?”

By using the Feelings Calendar, children learn that it’s safe to talk about emotions and that every feeling is important. Over time, naming feelings becomes second nature, helping kids navigate social situations, problem-solving, and personal challenges with confidence.

Lil’ Iguana Tip: Pair the calendar with Lil’ Iguana’s songs, stories, and SEL activities to make conversations about feelings even more engaging and memorable.