Recommended Resource: Emotional Regulation Posters
In my many years of working with families, one common challenge I have observed is helping children recognize their emotions and learn how to regulate them in positive, healthy ways. As adults, we sometimes struggle to understand and communicate our own feelings and needs - so it's easy to imagine how much harder it must be for children who haven't yet developed the tools to identify what they're feeling, let alone what might help them feel better.
A few years ago, I came across these posters (created by Emilie Delworth and Jocelyn Fitzgerald), designed specifically to support emotional awareness and regulation. I have used them with many families and have seen consistently positive results. When displayed in an easily accessible place at home, the pictures allow a child - or anyone in the household - to point to how they feel, or for a parent to ask which picture best represents their child's current emotion.
Using pictures provides a nonverbal option for expression, which can be easier for some children - or essential for those who are nonverbal. The visual choices help children identify their emotions more specifically, recognize what "zone" or "color area" they are in ("I kind of feel like..."), and describe that their internal state feels like ("sunny," "stormy," or "cloudy").
This set of posters supports all family members in learning to identify their emotions and gradually develop self-regulation skills - understanding what they need and what can help them feel better. It also offers parents opportunities to model self-regulation as they guide their children through co-regulation techniques.
I'll admit, even I find myself occasionally referring back to these posters on particularly "out of sorts" days - they're a helpful reminder to pause, check in with myself, and work through the process too.
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