Why Big Feelings Aren’t Bad Behaviour Understanding Emotional Outbursts Through a Developmental Lens As children, we didn’t have control over our emotional experiences. Many of us were taught, by well‑meaning parents—to manage, suppress, or “control” our feelings rather than understand them. These approaches weren’t rooted in harm; they reflected the limited understanding we had about…
For decades, the “cry it out” (CIO) method clinicalized controlled crying. It has been sold to exhausted parents as a necessary rite of passage. The promise is simple: endure a few nights of heartbreak, and you will be rewarded with a child who “self-soothes.” As an early years educator with over 20 years of experience,…