Emotion Charades Game

Objective

To help parents practice identifying and expressing various emotions through non-verbal cues, preparing them to guide their children.

Materials

• Small slips of paper with different emotions written on them (see list below)
• A bowl or hat to draw from

Instructions

1. Preparation (2 minutes): Have a bowl ready with slips of paper, each containing one emotion. Examples include:
   • Happy
   • Sad
   • Angry
   • Scared
   • Excited
   • Frustrated
   • Surprised
   • Confused
   • Bored
   • Proud
2. Introduction (1 minute): Explain to the parents that they will play a simple game of Emotion Charades. The goal is to act out an emotion without speaking, and others will guess what it is. This helps us practice observing and interpreting emotional cues, just like our children do.
3. How to Play (5-7 minutes):
   • One parent draws an emotion slip from the bowl.
   • Without speaking, they act out the emotion for about 30 seconds.
   • Other parents guess the emotion. Encourage them to explain why they think it's that emotion (e.g., "I think you're angry because your fists are clenched and your eyebrows are furrowed.").
   • The parent who guesses correctly goes next, or simply pass the bowl around.
   • Play for 5-7 minutes, ensuring a few different emotions are acted out.

Discussion Questions (After the game - 1 minute)

• What did you notice about how different emotions are expressed physically?
• Was it easy or difficult to guess some emotions? Why?
• How can this game help you better understand and talk about emotions with your child?

Understanding Your Child's Brain: The "Upstairs" and "Downstairs"

Helping your child with emotional regulation starts with understanding a little bit about how their brain works. Don't worry, we're not going into complex neuroscience! We'll use a simple, helpful model developed by Dr. Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson, authors of The Whole-Brain Child.

The Hand Model of the Brain

Imagine your hand is your child's brain.

• Your wrist and palm: This represents the "downstairs brain" (or the brainstem and limbic areas). This is the primitive part of our brain, responsible for basic functions like breathing, heart rate, and our strong emotions (like fear, anger, and joy). It's the part that reacts quickly and automatically – think "fight, flight, or freeze."
• Your thumb tucked into your palm: This is the amygdala, a key part of the downstairs brain. It's like the brain's alarm system, detecting danger and triggering intense emotions. When your child has a big emotional reaction (a tantrum, an outburst of fear), their amygdala is likely in charge.
• Your fingers wrapped over your thumb: This is the "upstairs brain" (or the prefrontal cortex). This is the more evolved part of our brain, responsible for higher-level thinking. It's where we do our planning, problem-solving, decision-making, empathy, and emotional regulation. It helps us think before we act.

What Happens During a "Lid Flip"?

When your child is overwhelmed by strong emotions (like intense anger or fear), it's like their "downstairs brain" takes over, and they literally "flip their lid."

Imagine your fingers (upstairs brain) lifting up and away from your thumb (amygdala). When the lid is flipped, the upstairs brain is temporarily offline. Your child can't access the parts of their brain that help them reason, calm down, or consider consequences. They are reacting purely from their emotional, reactive downstairs brain.

Why is this important for parents?

Understanding the "upstairs" and "downstairs" brain helps us:

1. Empathize: When your child is having a meltdown, it's not because they're trying to be difficult. Their brain is simply overwhelmed, and they've lost access to their calming and reasoning abilities.
2. Respond Effectively: Instead of trying to reason with a child whose lid is flipped, our first goal should be to help them "integrate" their brain – to help their upstairs brain come back online. This means focusing on calming and connection first, before trying to teach or problem-solve.
3. Teach Skills: Once they are calm, we can help them develop the skills to connect their upstairs and downstairs brains more effectively over time, leading to better emotional regulation. This includes naming emotions, practicing calming strategies, and working through problems.