Since my son turned three, it feels like his emotions have grown so much bigger overnight. Some days he stomps, shouts, or cries when he doesn’t get his way. Quite frankly, it has stretched me as a parent. I’ve been trying to talk him through it, while also trusting God to guide him (and me!) through this stage
I tried looking for a faith-based book to help toddlers manage their emotions, but honestly, I haven’t really found one yet. (If you have any good suggestions, please let me know!) In the meantime, I decided to create a simple devotional we could use together.. I wrote three short, faith-based stories to help toddlers calm down, added a memory verse, and compiled them into a little PDF booklet. We’ve been reading it every day, and I can honestly say I’m seeing gradual improvements.
That’s why I want to share one of them here with you. If you’re also raising a little one with big feelings, maybe this can help bring peace and structure to your home, too.
The Challenge
You may have heard the phrase “tabula rasa,” which means “blank slate.” Children are not born knowing how to handle their emotions; they have to be taught. Sometimes we assume they’ll just figure it out, but with all the distractions around them (TV, school, other kids), they may not always learn the right way to respond.
That’s why we, as parents, must prayerfully and patiently teach our kids how to handle big feelings. If we don’t, the world will. With God’s Word and simple tools, we can guide them step by step toward making better choices when emotions feel overwhelming.
Memory Verse to Teach for This Devotional
“Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” – James 1:19
Toddlers (and even older kids!) love learning with motions, so here’s a fun way to teach it:
👂 “Quick to listen” – cup your hand behind your ear
🖐️ “Slow” – wave your hands gently down
🤫 “To speak” – put a finger over your lips
🖐️ “Slow” – wave your hands gently again
😠➡️😌 “To become angry” – make fists and scrunch your face, then slowly open your hands while breathing out
Practice this verse with your child a couple of times each day. The motions make it fun and memorable, and it’s a beautiful way to plant God’s Word in their heart early.
How to Stop Temper Tantrums
Here, I will discuss one of the three methods I use with my son to help manage big emotions. I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of it before — taking deep breaths.
You might be thinking, “Yes, I’ve heard this a thousand times, but my toddler won’t do it.” I get it. That’s why I like to use a relatable story that my child can connect with. Most toddlers don’t like hearing the word “no.” That’s why I created a simple story about Eli and the cookie, because every child knows what it feels like to want something right now and be told to wait.
Story (Read Aloud)
Eli wanted a cookie before dinner.
Mama said, “Not yet.”
Eli stomped his feet and yelled.
Was that the right choice or the wrong choice?
(Now if your child cannot understand this, please read the section on “Sin” in this blog post here).
Acknowledge the feeling:
“It’s okay to feel upset. But instead of stomping, Eli could make a right choice.”
Right Choice Practice:
“One thing Eli and you can do is smell the flower by taking a deep breath in … and then blow out the candle by breathing out slowly. Pretend you’re really holding a flower and a candle in your hands. Let’s try it together two or three times.”
Bible Connection:
“The Bible says: ‘Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.’ God helps us take a breath when we feel upset.”
Prayer (Call & Response):
- Parent: “Dear God…” → Child: “Dear God…”
- Parent: “When I feel upset…” → Child: “When I feel upset…”
- Parent: “Help me take a breath.” → Child: “Help me take a breath.”
- Parent: “Amen.” → Child: “Amen.”
Activity:
Print or draw a big flower and a candle. As your child colors them, practice smelling the flower and blowing out the candle. It is better to do this practice when they are in a good mood.
And You Can Also Ask Jesus
Another beautiful step you can teach your child is that once they feel calm, they can ask Jesus to help them. After taking a deep breath, you might say:
“Jesus, please help me when I feel upset.”
It doesn’t have to be long or complicated; even a short prayer invites Jesus into their heart and reminds them they’re never alone with their feelings. Over time, this simple habit will help your child connect calming down with turning to God for strength.
Why This Works
This simple exercise gives children something physical to do with their bodies when they feel overwhelmed. Instead of screaming, they learn to breathe, and in time, it becomes their new “go-to” response. Adding God’s Word makes it more than just a calming trick it becomes a way of inviting Him into their emotions.
And while I designed this for toddlers, I think it could also work for older kids. After all, everyone, even adults, needs reminders to slow down, breathe, and turn to God when emotions feel too big.
The Power of God’s Word
I believe this part is so important. The Word of God is not just for adults; it is powerful to correct, train, and shape even our children (2 Timothy 3:16 17). We sometimes think kids are too young to understand, but they take in more than we realize.
When we repeat Bible verses with them, when we pray simple prayers together, when we show them that God cares about their feelings — we are planting seeds that will grow. God’s Word is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12), and it has the power to transform how our children respond to life, even in the smallest moments like tantrums or sharing toys.
More to Come
This is just one of the three devotionals I’ve been using with my son. In the complete guide, we also cover:
- Counting to ten when you feel angry
- Singing the Happy Birthday song when you feel sad
I’ll be sharing these soon here on the blog, and I’ll also include pictures you can read along with your little one to make it more fun and engaging.
Final Thoughts
Parenting through big emotions isn’t easy, but with God’s Word, prayer, and a few simple tools, we can walk this journey together with our little ones. One deep breath, one verse, one prayer at a time.
I’ll never forget the day I heard my son playing and quietly saying, “Jesus help me.” It warmed my heart that he remembered in the middle of play. So it may seem like they don’t always get it, but trust me it sticks, and it gets better over time.
God is not only helping our children, He is helping us too.
Know another parent who’s in the middle of toddler tantrums? Share this with them — sometimes the best gift we can give is a little encouragement and God’s Word.
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