When a child’s emotional cup is approaching empty, we may see behaviours such as these emerge:
• attention seeking behaviour to alert us that they need a refill.
• think they have to fight or flight to get a refill.
• demonstrate a sense of anxiety once they approach empty.
What causes an empty cup?
• stress and pressure to achieve
• isolation
• yelling
• punishment
• failing
• fatigue
• being forced to do what they hate
What refills a child’s emotional cup?
• play
• friendship
• one on one time together
• love and affection
• connection
• success
• being given the choice to do what they love.
As adults we can see how the emotional cups of our children will need to be observed carefully, but it is also important to know how full your own cup is?
If you’re running a little bit low too, take some time to do what you love, play a game or make a connection with a long lost friend.
Have a great weekend ahead. ❤️
#montessori #teachers #parents #school
5 Responses
Hi Gavin,your article re.the empty cup really resonates with me. I have a child in my class who loves reading but simply hates writing and will do everything within his 8yr old grasp to avoid doing written work so its occurred to me that hes being forced to do what he hates ultimately! Any ideas to work around this ?Have gotten him to tell me answers verbally which he does well at but he insists on distracting his table and when I try and reconnect I usually end up giving out to him,making him and myself angsty! Also any tips on good free websites to follow bar your own as am on the path of becoming a vice principal in Ireland and trying to build some more ideas ahead of interviews, after 10yrs experience in teaching.Thanks
I’m happy
You never failed to educate me as a mum & as an individual with every article you post. With the busy lives we lead and our insecurities and differences, we as parents and individuals tend to forget how important it is to constantly work on filling our own emotional cup in order to happily fill our children’s first before anyone else but somehow instead, We are dragged to please and fill friends, acquaintances, extended family members cups instead. My 10 year boy is a happy child in general and rarely lashes or demonstrate the above but lately as I am being extremely busy, I started noticing a little change in behavior of which I am aware why and your article double confirmed it. I can’t thank you enough for your words and valuable advice, i can feel huge amount of empathy directing towards your readers through your words and hence why they resonate with thousands of people around the globe. 🙏🏻
Thank you so much
Speechless with the article!
It will help me to deal with one of my student.