Sometimes kids think their emotions are permanent. If they’re sad, they might think, “I’m going to be sad FOREVER!”

But here’s another thing about kids. They love to watch clouds. Do you think those two things are unrelated? Here’s a way to use clouds to talk about emotions.

Take a moment to look for clouds. Give each cloud the name of an emotion. That cloud is anger. That cloud is loneliness. Watch as the clouds slowly drift across the sky, change shape, and become completely different. You can tell the children that emotions are like clouds. They change shape and roll by. When they feel overwhelmed with a feeling, have them picture it as a cloud, and watch it change and drift, drift, drift out of view.