Lifestyle
Helping Children Manage Big Emotions
Last Updated on September 4, 2025 by Daily News Staff
Helping Children Manage Big Emotions
(Family Features) Little children experience big emotions. When things don’t go as planned or they feel overstimulated or face new experiences, children may respond with anger and frustration, fueled by feelings of shame, embarrassment or even a sense of injustice. Because young children often don’t have the language or regulation skills to handle these big feelings, they can result in tantrums, mood swings, rebellion and emotional outbursts, which may trigger feelings of embarrassment and exasperation for parents. Fear not; every parent has been there. Dr. Lauren Loquasto, senior vice president and chief academic officer at The Goddard School, and Kelly Oriard and Callie Christensen, co-founders of Slumberkins and authors of “All Feelings Welcome,” share guidance to help parents effectively deal with these situations. Managing Meltdowns
Parents are most effective when they stay calm, speak quietly and move slowly. Counterbalance your child’s extreme emotion and behavior with the opposite extreme. Take deep breaths and stay near your child while the emotion dissipates. Scolding only heightens the emotion, so start with empathy, not discipline, and affirm the feelings. For example, “We all get angry sometimes,” or “It makes sense that you’re feeling this way.” Help your child label feelings and seek to understand what caused the outburst. Try “sportscasting” – objectively narrating what you see. For example, “I see you taking deep breaths. I see your cheeks are puffed up and your fists are clenched. I know your sister just took your toy and that might make you feel angry. Are you feeling angry?” This technique can help your child associate physiological feelings with an emotional label. Once calm, work with your child to repair and reconnect. Share your coping techniques. For example, “I feel angry sometimes. When I get angry, I like to stomp my feet and turn up my music. Do you want to try this with me?” Model this often, either when you’re upset or as a teaching moment by pretending to feel angry. Real-life examples help normalize feelings and teach emotion regulation skills. If you acted in a way you regret – yelling, for instance – address it by apologizing and taking responsibility. This grounding can help you and your child move forward. Taking Proactive Preventative Steps While big emotions and corresponding behaviors are a natural part of early childhood, there are steps you can take to help mitigate future meltdowns. Develop a routine and stick to it as much as possible. Children thrive with structure; the unexpected or unknown can lead to emotional dysregulation. That said, there will always be disruptions and transitions – some small (such as an out-of-town houseguest) and some large (like moving or welcoming a new sibling). Discuss these moments in advance to help your child anticipate and prepare for the change. Certain situations, such as the grocery store or a public event, may be triggers for children. Avoiding these situations altogether won’t help them learn, so prepare them with social scripting. Tell a story about the situation, discuss what they’ll experience and how they might feel and label the emotions. This talk can reduce anxiety, build confidence and make the situation more manageable. Additionally, it’s important to recognize a child’s emotional state can be intertwined with yours; if you’re overwhelmed, stressed or anxious, your child may pick up on that and experience some of those same feelings. Likewise, if you’re calm, your child is more likely to be, too. Finding Helpful Resources When children are not in a heightened emotional state, reading books about characters and big emotions can be helpful. Pause and ask them what they think the character is feeling and if they ever feel that way. Consider “Hammerhead, Mad’s Not Bad” and “Felix and the Picnic.” To watch a webinar featuring Loquasto, Oriard and Christensen sharing additional guidance, and to access a wealth of parenting insights and resources, visit the Parent Resource Center at GoddardSchool.com. Visit Slumberkins.com for materials and resources for educators, parents and children. Photos courtesy of Shutterstock Discover more from Daily News
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The Knowledge
How to avoid seeing disturbing video on social media and protect your peace of mind
How to avoid seeing disturbing video on social media and protect your peace of mind
Last Updated on January 29, 2026 by Daily News Staff
Annie Margaret, University of Colorado Boulder
How to avoid seeing disturbing video on social media and protect your peace of mind
When graphic videos like those of the recent shooting of a protester by federal agents in Minneapolis go viral, it can feel impossible to protect yourself from seeing things you did not consent to see. But there are steps you can take.
Social media platforms are designed to maximize engagement, not protect your peace of mind. The major platforms have also reduced their content moderation efforts over the past year or so. That means upsetting content can reach you even when you never chose to watch it.
You do not have to watch every piece of content that crosses your screen, however. Protecting your own mental state is not avoidance or denial. As a researcher who studies ways to counteract the negative effects of social media on mental health and well-being, I believe it’s a way of safeguarding the bandwidth you need to stay engaged, compassionate and effective.
Why this matters
Research shows that repeated exposure to violent or disturbing media can increase stress, heighten anxiety and contribute to feelings of helplessness. These effects are not just short-term. Over time, they erode the emotional resources you rely on to care for yourself and others.
Protecting your attention is a form of care. Liberating your attention from harmful content is not withdrawal. It is reclaiming your most powerful creative force: your consciousness.
Just as with food, not everything on the table is meant to be eaten. You wouldn’t eat something spoiled or toxic simply because it was served to you. In the same way, not every piece of media laid out in your feed deserves your attention. Choosing what to consume is a matter of health.
And while you can choose what you keep in your own kitchen cabinets, you often have less control over what shows up in your feeds. That is why it helps to take intentional steps to filter, block and set boundaries.
Practical steps you can take
Fortunately, there are straightforward ways to reduce your chances of being confronted with violent or disturbing videos. Here are four that I recommend:
- Turn off autoplay or limit sensitive content. Note that these settings can vary depending on device, operating system and app version, and can change.
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- Use keyword filters. Most platforms allow you to mute or block specific words, phrases or hashtags. This reduces the chance that graphic or violent content slips into your feed.
- Curate your feed. Unfollow accounts that regularly share disturbing images. Follow accounts that bring you knowledge, connection or joy instead.
- Set boundaries. Reserve phone-free time during meals or before bed. Research shows that intentional breaks reduce stress and improve well-being.
Reclaim your agency
Social media is not neutral. Its algorithms are engineered to hold your attention, even when that means amplifying harmful or sensational material. Watching passively only serves the interests of the social media companies. Choosing to protect your attention is a way to reclaim your agency.
The urge to follow along in real time can be strong, especially during crises. But choosing not to watch every disturbing image is not neglect; it is self-preservation. Looking away protects your ability to act with purpose. When your attention is hijacked, your energy goes into shock and outrage. When your attention is steady, you can choose where to invest it.
You are not powerless. Every boundary you set – whether it is turning off autoplay, filtering content or curating your feed – is a way of taking control over what enters your mind. These actions are the foundation for being able to connect with others, help people and work for meaningful change.
More resources
I’m the executive director of the Post-Internet Project, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people navigate the psychological and social challenges of life online. With my team, I designed the evidence-backed PRISM intervention to help people manage their social media use.
Our research-based program emphasizes agency, intention and values alignment as the keys to developing healthier patterns of media consumption. You can try the PRISM process for yourself with an online class I launched through Coursera in October 2025. You can find the course, Values Aligned Media Consumption, on Coursera. The course is aimed at anyone 18 and over, and the videos are free to watch.
This story was updated on Jan. 25, 2026 to include reference to the recent shooting in Minneapolis.
Annie Margaret, Teaching Assistant Professor of Creative Technology & Design, ATLAS Institute, University of Colorado Boulder
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Lifestyle
Understanding Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: Numbers to Know in 2026
The American Heart Association’s 2026 update reveals a decrease in deaths from heart disease and stroke, despite rising rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. Following their Life’s Essential 8 guidelines can prevent 40% of cardiovascular deaths, emphasizing the importance of healthier lifestyles for improved heart health.
Understanding Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: Numbers to Know in 2026
(Family Features) Taking care of your heart with healthy behaviors may be at the top of your wellness priority list already, and there may be good news about the effects of adhering to expert recommendations.
New information from the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease & Stroke Statistics Update shows deaths from heart disease and stroke are on the decline. However, rates continue to climb for high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity – all of which are health risk factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease.
Following expert guidance can be your prescription for better health as 80% of heart disease and stroke is preventable.
To help maintain and improve your cardiovascular health, consider following the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8, which is a set of four health behaviors (eat better, be more active, quit tobacco and get healthy sleep) and four health factors (manage weight, control cholesterol, manage blood sugar and manage blood pressure).
In the United States, optimal Life’s Essential 8 scores could prevent up to 40% of annual all-cause and cardiovascular disease deaths among adults.
Consider these highlights from the statistics update:
- Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S. and stroke is the No. 4 leading cause of death.
- Together, heart disease and stroke accounted for more than a quarter of all deaths in the U.S. in 2023.
- Cardiovascular diseases, including all types of heart disease and stroke, claim more lives in the U.S. each year than all forms of cancer and accidental deaths — the Nos. 2 and 3 causes of death – combined.
- On average, every 34 seconds, someone died of cardiovascular disease in 2023.
- On average, about two people died of heart disease every 3 minutes in the U.S. in 2023.
- On average in 2023, someone died of stroke every 3 minutes, 14 seconds in the U.S.
- Nearly half of U.S. adults now have high blood pressure.
- Nearly 29.5 million U.S. adults have diagnosed diabetes.
- About 50% of U.S. adults have obesity or severe obesity, and 28.1% of youth ages 2-19 have obesity.
- Only 1 in 4 U.S. adults meets national physical activity guidelines. Only 1 in 5 U.S. youths ages 6-17 are physically active for 60 minutes or more every day of the week.
To learn more about how to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, visit heart.org.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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Lifestyle
5 Tips to Upgrade Your Home Office
Consider these ideas to blend function, comfort and style, and create a home office that inspires creativity and makes you want to sit down and get things done.
Last Updated on January 26, 2026 by Daily News Staff
5 Tips to Upgrade Your Home Office
(Family Features) Hybrid schedules and remote work have become the norm for many people, which means a functional and inspiring workspace is more necessity than luxury. With the right setup – be it a dedicated room or a cozy corner – your space can boost productivity, spark creativity and make your workday more enjoyable. Consider these ideas to blend function, comfort and style, and create a home office that inspires creativity and makes you want to sit down and get things done. Focus on Comfort The desk and chair are the foundation of any home office. Be sure to build a setup that matches your work style by picking the right height desk (with the proper amount of storage and workspace to complete your tasks) and an adjustable chair with good lumbar support. If you’re at your computer most of the time during the day, an ergonomic keyboard and monitor stand can also make a comfortable difference. Create a Clutter-Free Work Zone Incorporating smart storage solutions like shelves, filing cabinets or baskets can help keep your workspace tidy and free of distracting clutter. Desk trays can keep small office supplies organized and within easy reach while maintaining a clean aesthetic. Add Personality with Decor Much like the rest of your home, your workspace should reflect your personality and style. Add artwork, decorative accents, plants or a photo wall to bring inspiration and freshness to your office and choose a color palette that promotes positivity and focus, such as soft blues, greens or neutrals. Layer Functional Lighting For optimal productivity, combine natural light with task and ambient lighting. If possible, position your desk near a window to capture natural light then supplement your space with a desk lamp for focused illumination and floor lamps, under-shelf lighting or wall sconces to add warmth and depth. Don’t Forget Acoustics Distracting noises can negatively impact focus. To absorb sound, use soft furnishings like rugs, upholstered chairs or curtains and consider a white noise machine if you need a more soothing work environment. Find more ideas to update every room in your house at eLivingtoday.com. Photo courtesy of ShutterstockDiscover more from Daily News
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