When you get so many youth (and staff!) in one Club for several hours a day, there are going to be a lot of emotions that happen. And it is not always easy to navigate! Particularly when those emotions show up physically as tears.
Unfortunately, we don’t always have the best response to youth who are crying. “Stop crying!!” is something I know we’ve all heard, and it is uncaring, shows frustration, and completely dismisses the emotions of the human you are talking to.
So how else can we handle the situation? I recently came across this lovely graphic based on some wise advice from another blogger. It gives several really good suggestions that are respectful, affirming, and open the door for relationship building, which is the most important work we do at Boys & Girls Clubs.
What would you add to this list? How do you handle BIG emotions at your Club? Comment below or email me at ClubXBlog@bgca.org!
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