D. Healthy Living · Healthy Living

Naming Feelings and Getting Along with Others

D2.5 D3.1 A1.1 A1.2 A1.4About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can name many feelings, like calm, frustrated, uncomfortable and worried.
I can notice how feelings show up in my body, and know when a feeling means I might need help.
I can get along with family, caregivers and others by cooperating, showing respect, talking openly and calming my anger.
I can name behaviours that hurt others, like name calling, mocking, leaving someone out on purpose, and hitting.

Words to know

feeling
Something you feel inside, like happy, sad or angry. Feelings are also called emotions.

frustrated
Feeling upset because something is hard or isn't working.

uncomfortable
Feeling uneasy, like something isn't quite right.

body language
What a person's body and face show, like crossed arms, a frown or a smile.

cooperate
To work together and share.

communicate
To share your thoughts and feelings by talking and listening.

mocking
Copying or teasing someone to make fun of them.

How are you feeling today?

Take a big breath. Now check inside. Do you feel calm? Excited? Tired? Worried?

All feelings are okay. Feelings are messages. When you can name your feelings, you can understand them, and you can tell when you might need help.

Feeling words	What it might feel like in my body
happy 😊, relaxed, calm 😌	loose muscles, slow breathing, a smile
sad 😢	heavy body, tears, wanting to be alone
angry 😠, frustrated	hot face, tight fists, a fast heartbeat
scared 😨, worried	butterflies in the tummy, shaky hands, a fast heartbeat
uncomfortable 😕	a funny feeling inside, wanting to get away

Feelings show up in our bodies. Our brain and body work together.

When do I need help?

Naming your feeling helps you know what to do. Sometimes you can help yourself, like taking deep breaths when you are frustrated.

But tell a trusted adult when:

a feeling is very big and you can't calm down
a feeling lasts a long time, like feeling sad or worried for many days
you feel unsafe, scared or uncomfortable because of something someone did
you are hurt, or someone else is hurt

Asking for help is a strong and smart thing to do.

Faces give clues about feelings. Look at the eyes, eyebrows and mouth.

Getting along with others

We live, learn and play with family members, caregivers, friends, classmates and others. Here is how to get along well:

Cooperate: work together, share and take turns.
Show respect: use kind words and treat others' things with care.
Communicate openly: say how you feel. Try: "I feel ___ when ___. Please ___."
Manage anger: stop, take three deep breaths, count to 10, then talk.
Pay attention: listen to what people say, and look at their faces and body language to understand how they feel.

Ethan's calm-down steps: name the feeling, breathe, count, then talk with an "I feel" sentence. No yelling, no hitting.

Behaviours that hurt

Some behaviours hurt others and hurt relationships:

Hurtful words: name calling, insults and mocking, whether face to face or online.
Ignoring on purpose: leaving someone out, or ignoring the feelings they share.
Physical violence: pushing, kicking and hitting.

If someone does these things to you or someone else: say "Stop", move away, and tell a trusted adult.

Worked example

Let's read the clues

Your little sister is sitting with her arms crossed, looking down, and she won't talk. Her block tower just fell over. How might she feel? What can you do?

Look at her body language: crossed arms, looking down, quiet.
Think about what happened: her tower fell.
Name a feeling: she might feel frustrated or sad.
Show you care: "Your tower fell. That's frustrating. Want help building it again?"

She probably feels frustrated or sad. Noticing her body language helped you understand and help.

Worked example

Let's manage anger

Ethan's brother took the last turn on the tablet. Ethan feels his face get hot and his fists get tight. What can he do?

Name it: "I feel angry."
Stop and calm down: take three slow, deep breaths, or count to 10.
Communicate: "I feel angry when you take my turn. Please let me have the next turn."
If they can't fix it together, ask a grown-up to help.

Ethan names his feeling, calms down, then talks. He doesn't yell or hit.

Just for fun

What did one volcano say to the other volcano?

"I lava you!" (Feeling like a volcano yourself? Three slow breaths help you cool down.)

Hands-on activity

Feelings charades and a calm-down plan

You need: paper, crayons and a family member.

Charades: Take turns acting out a feeling with only your face and body, no words. The other person guesses. Try: happy, frustrated, worried, calm, scared, proud.
Body map: Draw an outline of a body. Colour where you feel angry (red), worried (purple) and calm (blue).
Calm-down plan: Write or draw 3 things that help you calm down (like deep breaths, a hug from a grown-up, a drink of water, colouring).
Help list: Write the names of 3 trusted adults you can tell when a feeling is too big.

Your turn

Name five feeling words.

Where might you feel worry in your body?

Name two times you should tell a trusted adult about a feeling.

Name two ways to get along with your family.

Name two behaviours that hurt others.

Finish the sentence: "I feel ___ when ___. Please ___."

You are angry. What can you do before you talk?

More practice: warm-up

Are all feelings okay to have?

Is pushing a hurtful behaviour?

A smile usually shows which feeling?

What does cooperate mean?

Is mocking someone online okay?

More practice: on your own

Ava has felt worried about school every morning for two weeks. What should she do? Why?

Your grandpa is talking to you, and you keep looking at a screen. Is this respectful? What could you do instead?

A classmate says, "You can't sit with us," to the same kid every day. Which hurtful behaviour is this?

Your friend's eyebrows go down, and they clench their fists. How might they feel?

Use an "I feel" sentence for this: your cousin keeps changing the rules of a game.

Challenge

Why is naming your feeling helpful when you need help?

Someone in a group chat for kids writes mean names about a classmate. Others add laughing emojis. What should you do?

Your caregiver looks tired and says, "I'm fine," in a quiet, flat voice. What clues tell you how they feel? What could you do?

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which is a feeling word?

When should you tell a trusted adult about a feeling?

Which helps you manage anger?

Which is a way to communicate openly?

Which is a hurtful behaviour?

Crossed arms and a frown are examples of...

For parents and teachers

Big idea: This lesson covers two Grade 2 expectations. Students explain how understanding and being able to name their feelings (for example, happy, relaxed, calm, uncomfortable, sad, angry, frustrated, scared, worried) can help in knowing when they might need to get help (D2.5). They also describe how to relate positively to family members, caregivers and others (cooperate, show respect, communicate openly, manage anger, pay attention to what people say and to facial expressions and body language), and describe behaviours that can be harmful (verbal abuse online and face to face, such as name calling, insults and mocking; deliberately ignoring someone or their feelings; physical violence such as pushing, kicking and hitting) (D3.1).

How to help at home:

Name feelings out loud in daily life: "You look frustrated. That puzzle is tricky."
Model "I feel" sentences and calming strategies yourself.
Make a family calm-down plan and post it.
Talk about online kindness before your child uses chats or games with others.

When to get help: All children have big feelings. If your child's worry, sadness or anger lasts a long time or gets in the way of daily life (sleep, school, play), talk to your family doctor or your child's teacher. Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868) is available to children any time.

Common difficulties: using only "mad" and "sad"; thinking asking for help means they are weak; not seeing "leaving someone out" as hurtful.

This lesson also builds social-emotional skills: identifying and managing emotions (A1.1), coping and help-seeking (A1.2) and healthy relationships (A1.4).