How to Talk About Your Feelings: Simple Words for Big Emotions — A Guide for Kids Ages 5-10 and the Grown-Ups Who Love Them
About this audiobook
When a child shuts down, melts down, or says "I'm fine" when they clearly aren't, the problem usually isn't behavior — it's vocabulary. Children feel everything deeply, but most haven't yet learned the words for what's happening inside them.
How to Talk About Your Feelings: Simple Words for Big Emotions bridges that gap.
Written for kids ages 5–10 and the grown-ups who love them, this warm, read-together guide gives children the language to name emotions like anger, sadness, worry, fear, jealousy, embarrassment, confusion, and loneliness — and gives caregivers the tools to show up for those conversations with confidence, no expertise required.
Inside, you and your child will find simple explanations of why every feeling matters, how the body signals emotions before words arrive, and what to do when hard things happen. A Feelings Toolbox offers strategies kids can return to on their own, while a Feelings First Aid section gives parents ready language for the moments that catch everyone off guard — a family change, scary news, a hard day at school, or the quiet "I'm fine" that says so much more.
There are no tests here, no wrong answers, and no pressure. Just an open door.
As Fred Rogers said, when we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming — and this book is where that conversation begins.
Ideal for parents, grandparents, foster families, teachers, school counselors, and pediatric care providers supporting children through big emotions and life transitions.
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About the author
Susan Leys spent more than three decades in emergency psychiatry and crisis management, sitting with people at their lowest moments and helping them find the way forward. That experience — combined with her own journey as a caregiver — shaped a writing voice that is equal parts clinical precision and genuine human warmth.
Her books address what people are actually going through: burnout, relationship breakdowns, trauma recovery, leadership under pressure, and the quiet exhaustion that builds when you've been strong for too long.
Susan holds advanced degrees in Psychology from UMass Dartmouth and Springfield College, with specialized certifications from Johns Hopkins and Cornell. As a certified John Maxwell Speaker, Trainer, and Coach, she has worked with more than 4,000 healthcare professionals across her books, workshops, and coaching programs.
Stop coping. Start fixing.
Discover her full catalog at SusanLeysBooks.com
