--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Words control the impulses; without them…" description: "\"“Words control the impulses; without them children have no protective devices to slow their reactions. Frequently I am asked, “Aren’t you just begging ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/mary-sheedy-kurcinka-17820_children_words-control-the-impulses-without-them_1124092.jpg" --- # Words control the impulses; without them children have no… ![“Words control the impulses; without them children have no protective devices to slow their reactions. Frequently I am asked, “Aren’t you just begging for a blowup when you talk about intensity with kids? Aren’t you feeding them ideas or creating words for feelings that don’t really exist?” My…” quote by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/mary-sheedy-kurcinka-17820_children_words-control-the-impulses-without-them_1124092.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/mary-sheedy-kurcinka-17820_children_words-control-the-impulses-without-them_1124092.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/mary-sheedy-kurcinka-17820_children_words-control-the-impulses-without-them_1124092.jpg) > ““Words control the impulses; without them children have no protective devices to slow their reactions. Frequently I am asked, “Aren’t you just begging for a blowup when you talk about intensity with kids? Aren’t you feeding them ideas or creating words for feelings that don’t really exist?” My experience, observations, and interviews tell me that spirited children feel intensely whether anyone has talked to them about it or not. Ignoring it does not make it go away. Ask children what is happening inside their bodies, and they will tell you that they can feel their blood buzzing in their veins or hornets zipping through their body. If no one has informed them that other people experience these feelings or if no one has helped them by giving names to these feelings—like anxiety, frustration, excitement, and elation—they become frightened by them. Some worry that they are sick. Some feel odd, others lost and overwhelmed. Talking verifies the sensations and emotions. It gives them legitimacy and allows the child to own them without being frightened. It also helps kids to know what to do with them, how to react, and how to manage their intensity. Most”” [Mary Sheedy Kurcinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-sheedy-kurcinka/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children need language to label and manage intense feelings; naming emotions provides safety and regulation. **In simple terms:** Naming feelings helps kids handle strong emotions. Key Takeaway Teach kids emotion vocabulary. Themes emotional development parenting psychology Mood empathetic educational Type advice psychological When to use this quote - classroom discussions - family conversations - therapy sessions - school curricula Key Concepts emotional literacy self-regulation developmental psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can we introduce emotion words without pathologizing? - What strategies help children accept their feelings? A Different Perspective Children may resist labeling feelings, seeing it as over‑analysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-feel/) [Feel Intensely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-intensely-362215/) [Impulses Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impulses-children-3056545/) [Intensity Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intensity-kids-3056546/) [Sensations Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensations-emotions-692375/) ## Related quotes > [The most important part of our lives-our sensations, emotions, desires, and aspirations-takes place in a universe of illusions which science can attenuate or destroy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wood-krutch/the-most-important-part-of-our-lives-our-sensations-emotions-desires/) [Joseph Wood Krutch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wood-krutch/) > [“the pairing of opposite physical sensations, emotions, and so on harmonizes the opposite hemispheres of the brain and helps in balancing our basic drives.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-t-lusk/the-pairing-of-opposite-physical-sensations-emotions-and-so-on-2/) [Julie T. 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Whether it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marci-shimoff/if-you-think-about-the-times-in-life-when-you-ve-been-the-most-deeply/) [Marci Shimoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marci-shimoff/) > [Particularly in these high school-set movies, there's something about being in high school that's like a cauldron, a boiling pot of emotion and joy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-waters/particularly-in-these-high-school-set-movies-there-s-something-about/) [Mark Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-waters/) > [I thought, briefly, that I would never feel as intensely connected to the world, to another human being, as I did at that moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/i-thought-briefly-that-i-would-never-feel-as-intensely-connected-to/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) ## More by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka > [“2. PERSISTENCE: If an idea or an activity is important to them, spirited children can “lock” right in. 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