Helping Your Child Handle “Big Emotions”

How can I help my child and myself handle big emotions? The clinical term for “big emotions” is emotional dysregulation, which is the inability to control or regulate emotional responses.

The process of emotional regulation is complex and lifelong. Theoretically, we learn this skill first, the skill of relating to others second, and the ability to reason last. But, unfortunately, the skill of regulating is often not developed.

Think about the last time you lost your keys or cell phone. A family member asked, “Where did you have it last?” and you blew up. That person ap proached you with reason, but you responded without regulat ing your emotions. When dealing with difficult emotions, we must ensure regulation first, relation second, and reason third. Every time…In that order… Every time!

As we grow, emotional regulation skills develop through the rhythmic motion of play: running around the playground, swinging, kicking a ball back and forth, going across monkey bars, bouncing, throwing, and dancing. This rhythmic cycle starts when parents begin pacing or rocking to calm their crying infant. However, parents must continue to teach and model rhythmic motion skills to teach their children emotional regulation. In my opinion, this is where toddlers’ use of handheld devices is most detrimental to development. If the child is given a phone to “help him calm down,” instead of being held and rocked or encouraged to engage in rhythmic motion, he is not learning how to naturally self-soothe. Instead, your child is learning to distract himself from difficult emotions. As parents, we all need to intentionally incorporate rhythmic movement into our daily lives: running, walking, dancing, etc. We need to say to children, “I am really angry about something that happened at work today, so I am going for a walk to help my brain and body calm down.” Parents must model that they are not overwhelmed by their big emotions. As children grow older, they will imitate what we model.

We model the skills of relating by showing empathy. The best way to relate through empathy is by telling stories. In younger children, we talk about what just happened. For example, “You grabbed the cookie, and I would not let you have it, so you started to cry.” We relate to older children, teenagers, and adults by talking about a time we went through the same thing. Do not “one up” the other person just to say, “me too”. Remember, it is alright for them to feel big emotions! They will continue to experience them throughout their life. They just need to know that they are seen, heard, and understood.

We attempt to reason only after ensuring regulation and relation have successfully occurred. The step of reason usually occurs minutes, hours, or sometimes even days after the emotional dysregulation occurs. If we wait until our children can reason, their brains are optimized for the learning process.

Truthfully, the most common error I observe is that parents model emotional dysregulation. Therefore, your children’s ability to manage difficult emotions is directly related to YOUR ability to manage their uncomfortable feelings. Before reacting, make sure you are regulated, have spent some time compassionately relating to yourself or another person, and are fully able to reason.

Dr. Beth Long received her education in Counseling Psychology from Chapman University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Beth has worked in six unique clinical environments across the country and currently owns Works of Wonder Therapy in Montgomery. Beth utilizes the knowledge from a variety of different disciplines to give her patients the best care possible. To learn more visit www.worksofwondertherapy.com.

Miss Juneteenth Scholarship Pageantry Program

Registration is now open for the 2023 Miss Juneteenth Scholarship Pageantry Program through March 1st. This national program presented by The Maynard 4 Foundation is open to young ladies ages 13-18 is a 3-day educational program designed to build confidence that also consists of workshops ranging from public speaking, college and career exploration, financial literacy and much more! This program will be hosted at The Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa from June 16-18, 2023! Paper registration form and info may be found at www.missjuneteenth.org. Online registration via Google Form at https://bit.ly/TM4F_2023MissJuneteenth. Pictured: 2022 Junior Miss Juneteenth, Clair Basey, and 2022 Teen Miss Juneteenth, Kendra Jordan.

USS ALABAMA Crewmate Program

Battleship Memorial Park is now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 USS ALABAMA Crew mate Program. Applications may be downloaded from our website at https://www.ussalabama.com/ get-involved/crewmates/ or picked up at Battleship Memorial Park’s Ticket Office, 2703 Battleship Parkway. The Ticket Office is open daily from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Deadline for application is Friday, February 17, 4 p.m. Open to young women ages 19 to 21. For more information, please call Lynne Price at 251-438-2834, or email lprice@ussalabama.com.

Thomas Hospital Auxiliary Seeks Junior Volunteers

The Thomas Hospital Auxiliary is seeking students to participate in their junior volunteer program this summer. This opportunity is offered to high school students between the ages 14 to 17 with at least a 3.0 grade point average. The goals of the program are to help students explore possible healthcare careers and provide service to the community. For more information, contact Melita Willkie at 279-5525 or melita.willkie@infirmaryhealth.org.

Baldwin Connect College and Career Expo

Baldwin County Chambers of Commerce will host the second annual Baldwin Connect College and Career Expo taking place on February 7 and 8 at the Baldwin County Coliseum. Hours are 9AM - 3PM and open to the public for any student or adult job seeker during. In addition to the actual event, we are excited to announce a county wide resume contest for high school seniors. Scholarship dollars will be awarded to the top resume from each school and then will be entered to win the top scholarship award at a luncheon in their honor on February 6, 2023. If your business is interested in participating, applications are available online at https://bit. ly/2023BaldwinConnectCareerExpo or you can contact your Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce.

Impact 100 Baldwin County Announces Membership Events

Impact 100 is recruiting women to join its organization for 2023 by holding gatherings the next few months throughout Baldwin County. The nonprofit is composed of women who believe in transforming lives in our communities by awarding high-impact grants to nonprofits in the areas of Arts, Culture & Recreation; Education; Environment & Preservation; Family; and Health and Wellness. Since its inception in 2008, Impact 100 has awarded over $5 million in grants to Baldwin County nonprofits. Membership is open to all women at least 18 years old who can make a $1,000 membership donation by March 31st . Every penny of the donation goes toward grant awards, and payment installments are an option. To join or RSVP for one of the events, visit the Impact 100 website, www.Impact100BaldwinCounty.org.

Toytopia Opening February 3, 2023

What was your childhood passion? Jump roping? Star Wars® collectibles? Baking in an Easy Bake Oven? Whatever was your favorite toy then and now, you’re sure to find it in the TOYTOPIA exhibit at the Exploreum, developed by Stage 9 Exhibits. Opening February 3, 2023 at and running daily throughout the normal exhibition hours of the science center, Toytopia is sure to rekindle the wonder and delight of your favorite childhood moments and where you can play all day in a world of big toys.

Toytopia is the one of the premier exhibits created by the Stage 9 Exhibits. Visit https://www.exploreum.com/.

“Spirits of the Passage” at GulfQuest

Beginning January 4, 2023, and in conjunction with the 160th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico (GulfQuest) will be hosting one of the most powerful and important exhibitions it has ever displayed. “Spirits of the Passage: The Story of the Transatlantic Slave Trade” explores the strength of the human spirit through a display of nearly 150 historical objects spanning more than 350 years.

The 3,500 sq. ft. exhibition will be on display through June 21, 2023.

“Spirits of the Passage” is being brought to GulfQuest thanks to generous support from the Mobile County Commission. GulfQuest is open Wednesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Contact GulfQuest at (251) 436-8901 or visit www.gulfquestmuseum.com. Advanced tickets can be purchased at www.gulfquestmuseum.com/visit/online-tickets.

Project Prom

Looking for the perfect prom dress? Want to have a fun morning out with your friends or maybe a glam morning with Mom? The Junior Auxiliary of the Eastern Shore invites everyone to come play dress up with us at Project Prom! Have a ball trying on dresses, shoes, purses and even accessories. The best part is, if you find something you love, you can take it home with you at no cost! Project Prom will be held March 4, 2023 from 10:00am - 4:00pm at Fairhope High School. This event is open to ALL local high schools! We will have thousands of dresses and accessories with sizes ranging from 00 – 24. All FREE! To check out some of the fun fashions check out their Insta-ProjectPromJAEasternShore.

Donations can be dropped off at Thompson Animal Hospital off 181 in Fairhope or Castle Technology Partners (off Pollard Road) in Daphne. Donations accepted through February 24. For more information follow Junior Auxilliary of the Eastern Shore on Facebook.

13th Annual Mobile Chocolate Festival

The Mobile Chocolate Festival, a celebration of all things chocolate, will be held at The Grounds on Saturday March 18, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., with all proceeds to benefit Penelope House.

As we celebrate the 13th Anniversary of such a wonderfully chocolate event, there will be vendors offering samples of their chocolate-related products as well as selling their products. Vendors vary from having chocolate-themed wares to succulent confections to jewelry to bath and body products. Admission is free for children 13 & under; General admission $3.00 in advance- available at Penelope’s Closet, $5.00 day of the event. Call for more details (251-342-2809), like Mobile Chocolate Festival on Facebook, and/or visit www.mobilechocolatefestival.com.

Mobile Ballet Presents Swan Lake and the Swan Soirée

Mobile Ballet will present Swan Lake on March 25-26 at the Mobile Civic Center Theater, the final production closing out our 35th Anniversary season. Performances will take place Saturday, March 25, at 7:30pm, and Sunday, March 26, at 2:30pm.

A magical spell that can only be broken by true love... Mobile Ballet brings to the stage a new production of one of the most popular classical ballets of all time, Swan Lake. Audiences will be captivated by the romance and drama, the battle between good and evil, and the transformative power of love. This iconic ballet is a must-see whether you are an aficionado or a newcomer to ballet. Tchaikovsky’s stunning score is brought to life under the direction of conductor David Ott, with a live orchestra accompanying the Saturday evening performance. This new Mobile Ballet production features Houston Ballet principal dancers Yuriko Kajiya and Connor Walsh and additional guest artists performing with the Mobile Ballet Company, with choreography by Katia Garza and Israel Rodriguez after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov.

Mobile Ballet will also present the Swan Soiree on Sunday, March 5th from 2pm – 4pm , at The Venue in Fairhope.. This fun Sunday afternoon tea will include a short performance by Mobile Ballet dancers, story time, silent auction, photo opps & more! Tickets are $25. All ages (3+). Presented by the Mobile Ballet Barre volunteer association, this special event raises funds for the Relevé Project, Mobile Ballet’s tuition assistance program established to help reduce the financial burdens that prevent children from accessing dance training. Supporters who may be unable to attend the event are still encouraged to make a donation to the Relevé Project at www.mobileballet. org. With your donation, you are lifting up a young dancer and directly making a difference in his or her life, as well as nurturing the vibrant arts culture in our community!

To purchase tickets, make a donation, or get information, visit www.mobileballet.org or call 251-342-2241.

19TH Annual Many More Miles Shoe Drive

Local school-age kids, runners and exercise enthusiasts may have put a lot of miles on old running shoes and shoes for all purposes, but when they are donated to the “Many More Miles” campaign, those gently used shoes will come to life again as they land on the feet of someone who really needs them.

For the 19th year, Baldwin Bone & Joint, P.C. will host this important community outreach project, and, for the second consecutive year, the local orthopaedic practice will partner with Baldwin County Public Schools and City Hope Church. Since its inception, response to the campaign has grown from 200 pairs donated in 2004 to a record-breaking 2,728 pairs contributed most recently. Shoe donations for 2023 will be accepted starting January 9, with final shoe drop-offs received at the 2023 Azalea Trail Run on Saturday, March 25, in Mobile. Baldwin County students will once again be rewarded for collecting the highest number of shoes with money for their schools’ new P.E. equipment. Baldwin Bone & Joint will award cash prizes to P.E. programs to the top three Baldwin County Public Schools who donate the most shoes. In addition, the class that brings in the most shoes overall will receive a Chick-fil-a party and the teacher will be awarded a cash prize provided by City Hope Church. For more information, call 251.656.3843 or visit baldwinboneandjoint.com.

22nd Annual Chili for Charity

This year’s cook-off will again be held at the Halstead Amphitheater in Downtown Fairhope on Saturday, February 25, 2023 from 11:30am2:00pm. Besides being able to sample some of the best chili that Baldwin County has to offer, music lovers can enjoy pleasing tunes by local favorite, Blind Dog Mike and the Howlers. Add a bake sale with out-of–this-world homemade baked goods, along with hot dogs and sodas, games for the kids, balloon artistry by Dr. Gee, animal ambassadors from Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, and a mechanical bull ride for all ages. Tickets are available in advance online at eventbrite.com. or at the gate. Visit our website, www.baldwinemi.org.

Children’s of Alabama Celebrates the 18th Annual “Tee Off Around the World”

Children’s of Alabama celebrates Tee Off Fore A Cure on March 3 and 4, with a weekend of internationally-themed events designed to celebrate the 18th year of the fundraiser and honor Fairhope cancer survivor Frances Grace Hirs. This year’s register for the golf tournament contact Kerrie Benson, Children’s Gulf Coast coordinator, at 251-610-4969, or visit give.childrensal.org/teeoff.