The KNACK method
Do you ever feel stuck when children’s big emotions show up?
Big emotions can be overwhelming, however, The Emps have a simple tool to help.
It’s called The KNACK method, and it helps with every emotion
Use this tool, share it with your children and you can have the KNACK to support big emotions when they arrive!
Know your body’s clues and signals
The first step to understanding emotions is recognising the physical signals that our body gives us when we experience them. For example: butterflies in our tummy when we are excited or anxious, faster breathing or feeling hot when we are angry.
Children need support to explore how different emotions are experienced in their bodies so that they can identify them when they show up.
Knowing the signals from our bodies also helps children identify when big emotions are beginning to show up, this means they can seek help or use regulation strategies BEFORE the emotion becomes overwhelming.
Name the emotion
Being able to name an emotion helps children understand what they are experiencing. Without being able to name an emotion it can feel very frightening and overwhelming to children. However, when we can support them to name what they are experiencing it makes it much more manageable.
It can also help us as parents and educators to support and coregulate with them.
Using The Emps to explore different emotions with your children before they show up will help them, and you to navigate big emotions when they do.
Ask why it is here?
One of the greatest tools educators and parents have in supporting emotional literacy is staying curious about the emotion that has shown up in a child.
This helps us to understand what emotion it is and why it is here. Remember all emotions are signals.
Ask yourself questions: What has just happened? What might have been tricky today? Has there been too much noise? Is it because there is nothing to do or less structure right now? Is it because something exciting/unexpected/unknown/new is coming?
Remember often big emotions show up as a result of other emotions. For example, anger can show up as a result of frustration, shame, disappointment or sadness.
Co-regulate
Children are not yet able to regulate big emotions.
Co-regulation is the warm, responsive, and supportive interaction between an adult (such as a parent, caregiver, or educator) and a child during moments of big emotions or dysregulation.
Through Co-Regulation trusted adults help their child feel safe, calm, and understood.
This support acts as a bridge to our children eventually being able to self-regulate; to manage their own emotions and responses independently.
Remember co-regulation is not about fixing or controlling a child's emotions but about supporting them through their experiences so they can learn to manage those emotions independently. It combines empathy, guidance, and consistent presence to build the foundation for strong emotional regulation, resilience, and independence over time.
Kindness, always
Emotions (even the big ones!) are not bad.
They are a natural part of being human and should not be avoided or ignored. In order to develop emotional literacy it is important to talk openly about emotions with your child.
Emotions have a purpose and they give us clues about what we need or what is happening around us.
Let your child know that it’s okay to feel their emotions, and gently help them explore and understand those emotions alongside healthy ways to manage and express them.
But most importantly, be kind, to your child, to their emotions, and to yourself.
You don’t have to get it perfect every time. What matters most is being present, staying connected, and facing those moments together.
Using the KNACK method helps us in those tricky moments to easily remember how to support our children when big emotions show up.
But remember it is important to talk about and explore emotions with your children BEFORE they show up.
That is why The Emps are here. You can use them to explore our wonderful emotional world in a fun, engaging and playful way.