It’s not always easy to manage your emotions, but thankfully younger residents and parents were given some assistance on this matter thanks to a partnership between Beacon For Hope and the Emporia Public Library Saturday afternoon.
The library welcomed several families for a time of games and stories all centered around how to properly process your emotions as part of the inaugural Sad! Mad! Glad! event. Beacon Executive Director Melissa Owen says traditionally much of the agency’s programming has focused on adult behaviors and mental health, but it is just as important to focus the same amount of attention on younger individuals.
Owen says Saturday’s event comes as children’s authors are beginning to broach this subject in greater depth than in years past.
Beacon board of directors member and event organizer Rebecca Smith says conversations with children about emotions from an early age can often help to curb behavioral problems later in life. She adds that proper understanding of one’s feelings is not only important for children but for parents as well.
The event was open to children in the kindergarten to fifth grade age group. Along with the storytimes and games, parents could also enter a raffle to take home one of several prize packages.
Photos by Tagan Trahoon/KVOE News
