Topic Challenge: Thoughts and Feelings, Fostering Emotional Maturity in Children

Welcome back to The BIG Home Ed Conversations Podcast with Kelly Rigg and Ashley Vanerio.   This week’s topic: Feelings and journaling (real life edition) We recorded in the middle of a heatwave, so we’re talking dysregulation, grumpy kids, and how hard it can be to “do the right thing” when everyone’s overstimulated.   What we actually found helpful:   A feelings wheel (free printable) to help kids find more precise words than just “angry/sad” A simple empathy prompt: “How do you think your sibling feels?” Journaling alternatives for kids who hate writing: drawing feelings, scribble pages, talking, creativity, movement, baking A reminder that feelings aren’t just cognitive — sometimes kids regulate best through safe physical outlets               Schedule note: We’re taking a short one-week break, then we’ll be back with a general catch-up episode (summer plans and a bit of a chat). After that, we’ll return to the topic challenge with protest and social change.   Season 5 Sponsor: Strew (home education logging app) This week we’re sharing a quick behind-the-scenes feature: Study Points settings. In the Study Points area you can choose an education style (child-led learning, Waldorf/Steiner, Charlotte Mason, unschooling/deschooling, or general home ed) which can change how the Study Points categories are shown. It’s totally optional, but a handy way to get an at-a-glance view of what you’ve been logging over time. Use code 'bighomeed' if you try Strew. https://strew.app/  Thanks for listening — subscribe, leave a review, and share with a friend. Find us on Instagram and TikTok, and at  www.bighomeedpodcast.com .