Mindfulness + Emotion Labeling + Empathy

10 Tips for Parents to Support Emotional Growth at Home:

1. Use Color to Talk About Feelings : Just like Uni’s gem, assign colors to emotions at home—red for mad, blue for sad, green for calm, yellow for happy—to help children recognize and label what they feel.
2. Practice “Sparkle Breaths” Daily : Set aside a few minutes each day for calming breaths. Inhale slowly through the nose, then exhale as if blowing sparkles into the air. Pair it with a chime or gentle bell sound like in the song.
3. Name Emotions Out Loud : Model emotional labeling by saying things like, “I feel a little frustrated right now,” or “You look like your gem would be orange, mixed up!”
4. Create a “Calm Corner” : Designate a cozy space with pillows, soft lighting, and fidget toys. Use this as a safe spot to calm down, reflect, or take sparkle breaths.
5. Turn Moments of Frustration into Teaching Opportunities: Instead of reacting to a tantrum or meltdown, gently guide your child through naming their feelings, just like Breeze the Butterfly does.
6. Encourage Talking to Feelings: Practice saying phrases like, “Hello mad. Hello sad. I see you.” This builds emotional literacy and teaches that feelings are visitors, not enemies.
7. Use a Feelings Mirror: Let your child look in a mirror and describe what their face looks like when they feel certain emotions. Connect this to Uni’s changing gem colors.
8. Praise Emotional Awareness: Say things like, “You noticed you were upset and took a breath. That was so brave and smart.”
9. Pair Empathy with Everyday Moments: Ask, “How do you think your friend felt when that happened?” or “If Uni saw this, what would she do?”
10. Revisit the Song When Emotions Run High: Sing or hum the Sparkle Breath chorus together in real-life moments to regulate
    emotions and bring a little magic back to the moment.