After having launched our Emomo Kit for nearly 2 months, we have invited some of our users to share their feedback. This time, Bentley's mom shared a few words about their experiences.
What difficulties do you face when trying to teach Bentley about emotions?
"Bentley often throws tantrums and cries over little things. Whenever he gets upset, he will find a place to calm down. After calming down, usually I will try to talk to him about his feelings and what made him feel a certain way, but he won't necessarily understand. Also, sometimes he feels forced to talk about his feelings."
What are some of the most obvious changes you've seen after using the Emomo Kit?
"There was one time when his dad was blaming him and he felt upset about it. So I asked him 'how are you feeling?' He automatically went to the Feelings Board, showed me he felt upset, and chose the 'drink a glass of water' coping method. I was so surprised! Before, we've never had a tool for communicating feelings, but after getting this kit, he has learned to communicate and choose healthy coping methods. Also, he's able to calm down much quicker, which was a pleasant surprise for me."
Before using the Emomo Kit, what were some coping methods Bentley would use whenever he had big feelings?
"Before, he would just hug his blanket and go calm down on his own without communicating how he felt. But now he knows to be more proactive in telling us his feelings and finding healthy ways to deal with them. We also use the Thinking Journal everyday to talk about things that he enjoyed throughout the day."
Which item in the Emomo Kit did you find most helpful?
"It has to be the Feelings Board. Bentley has even used it for role-playing, teaching his Emomo plush about the different feelings. I think this definitely shows that he is actually grasping a lot of the SEL concepts."
I saw the your home has a wall full of different teaching materials. What do you use that for?
"Our home is actually like a little kindergarten, haha! I think this kind of environment encourages children to learn more naturally. The whiteboard is used for all kinds of activities like drawing and writing - it's just like when I teach my own students, I will stick some materials on the board. I think having a learning space is important. Whenever he passes by this space, he can be reminded of different learning concepts. And it just so happens that the Emomo Kit Feelings Board is also magnetic so it also sticks on the white board."
Being a kindergarten teacher, do you have any words for other parents who are starting to use the Emomo Kit?
"I actually already understood a lot of the concepts you describe in the kit such as scaffolding, positive parenting and so on. This is also in line with my own teaching philosophy. If you just let your child play on their own, the kit won't be as effective. You have to first let your child understand the different emotions and what kinds of situations lead to them."
