As Stuart says in the video, there is a time when we need to make the choice to grow up (this doesn’t mean become boring!) and act in an appropriate way. And these words of wisdom are coming from the best cat impersonator in our team!
A big part of “growing up” is becoming more aware of our emotions and the effects they have on us. This doesn’t mean we have to walk about smiling all the time being super happy with everyone we meet. It simply means being able to recognise how and when we feel a certain way. Doing this will then lead to us being able to manage our emotions more effectively.
Our feelings are crazy. We tend to underestimate how often we need to self-regulate our emotions each day!
Here’s just a few examples…
Wake up and work up the enthusiasm for school
Sibling interactions that may be competitive
Boredom on the bus
Walk past a student who has upset you the day before
Get called on by the teacher when you don’t know the answer
Excitement at getting a text from a girl/boy you like
Doing poorly on a test
Disappointment at not making the hockey team
Frustration about a new project
Friday excitement
And on and on and on…
And of course, if this means you catch yourself being a bit annoyed with someone for no reason or generally not being much fun, then let’s go back to being that super fun 3 year-old. Just make sure you keep your clothes on…
