Kids can also be taught to SIFT for feelings and emotions they are experiencing. Take time to ask kids how they feel, and help them be specific, so they can go from vague emotional descriptors like “fine” and “bad” to more precise ones, like “disappointed,” “anxious,” “jealous,” and “excited.” One reason kids often don’t express the complexity of a particular emotion is that they haven’t yet learned to think about their feelings in a sophisticated way that recognizes the variety and richness within them. As a result, they don’t use a full spectrum of emotions in their responses, and instead
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