It's just emotions, taking me over...

Isn't it amazing how children's emotions can range from ridiculously frustrated to pensive to utter joy in 5 minutes or less? Playing around with my kinda new toy and doing what I like to do best: observe my girls in action, I saw just that, an almost rhythmic pattern of emotions playing out when Spaghetti doesn't get what she wants.

I couldn't even begin to tell you what this tantrum was about but I do know it began (and more importantly) ended in record time. Of course, Spaghetti loves to subject us to longer periods of tantrums but it must have been a special day because this one was quite short. 

Honestly, I thought I was one of those few lucky parents that would never have a tantrum kid. I could almost apply Spaghetti's older sister, the Meatball for sainthood for blessing me with an almost-perfect-it's-scary childhood. Eight years tantrum-free? I was on a roll. Then along came Spaghetti, who my husband and I named Tornado for her boisterous, infectious and emotional personality. "My goodness," is all the Colonel could say in reaction to her second apo (grandchild in Pilipino) "that Spaghetti is something else." As I watch my mother observe my daughter, I could sense the curiousity and amusement in her gaze almost in wonder as to how a little 2 year old can emanate so many different emotions?

As a child, I, like the Meatball, was shy and introverted. So whenever I was anything other than quiet or polite my parents would look at me strangely. A perfect example would be my own tantrums at 8 years old, "Why are you crying?" The Colonel would ask quizzically as if she were asking me to solve for the Pythagorean theorem. "I don't know!" I recall screaming back exasperated. And that was the honest truth, I didn't know and the more the Colonel kept giving me that you-are-a-strange child look the deeper I fell into the hole of not recognizing what I was feeling. 

As I look back, I realize that this wasn't their fault. My parents did not grow up in an environment that allowed them to talk about their feelings, much less attach names to them. Of course, they were happy, sad, angry, excited, they just never talked about them. Growing up in the Philippines was about working hard, studying hard and making sacrifices, there was no time wasted on figuring out emotions.

Remembering what it felt like to not have my mother understand me when I could barely understand myself as a child, I felt that it was really important to start identifying emotions at a young age with my girls. Even just naming their emotions when I sense a change in their mood or asking them questions to check in to see what they're feeling and also letting them know that it's perfectly okay to not feel or think of anything at all. (A tough one for us ladies, right?!?) Or throw a tantrum if you feel like it!

Any other techniques out there on teaching emotions?