In the past, I tried stuffing difficult feelings instead of facing them and learning from them. Now that we have a toddler, this choice of expressing or stuffing emotions is a daily activity. We give our 2 year old choices as often as possible when health and safety are not at risk. However, there are times when her choice is not an option, she reacts by screaming and throwing herself on the ground. Instead of redirecting, I can choose to allow both of us to learn from her expression. I can tell her to "let the anger and frustration flow, I'm here to keep us both safe". The first time I did this, I was surprised at how quickly she let go and how much more connected I felt to her. I am also looking at my emotional response to her tantrums and identifying sources of pain I need to heal for myself.
