Anger, sadness, fear, frustration: Trouble handling big emotions is one of the most common mental health problems in children. We can’t make bad feelings go away, but we can help kids turn down the volume — and find healthy ways to express those feelings without lashing out or melting down.

This week we’re rounding up resources on helping kids cope with painful or overwhelming emotions. We can teach kids skills for coping when they feel overwhelmed, at home and at school. We can model how to manage our own uncomfortable feelings. And finally it’s important to recognize when outsized feelings are so troubling that professional help is needed — if they’re making it hard for kids to function or leading to self-destructive behaviors. Specialized therapy for what expert call “emotional dysregulation” can make a big difference in a struggling child’s life.

– Caroline Miller, Editorial Director | ✉