Feelings Bottles and Navigating Emotional Regulation With Our Kiddos

Written By Cristina McAllister

Every child carries feelings—big, bright, confusing, heavy feelings. And while adults have years of practice managing the pop and fizz of emotions inside us, kids are just beginning to understand theirs. They don’t always have the words to explain how they’re feeling. Sometimes they don’t even know what’s happening in their bodies when their feelings start bubbling over.

When My Bottle Gets Too Full was born from this truth.

As a teacher for twenty-one years and a mama of two neurodiverse boys, I’ve seen firsthand how easily a child’s emotions can build up—quietly and unnoticed—until they spill over in ways that look like frustration, withdrawal, tears, silence or even flight. Not because they’re “misbehaving,” but because their bottle—full of moments, worries, questions, and feelings—simply ran out of space.

It was important for me to explain to kiddos, their families, their peers, and the adults around them that they are not “bad.” They are simply overloaded with too many feels and are struggling to regulate them.

The heart behind this book is simple:

Kids need regular chances to empty their bottle. And they need us—caring adults—to help them do it.

Talking about feelings isn’t always natural. For many families, it wasn’t something modeled for us growing up. But emotional conversations don’t have to be big, dramatic sit‑downs. They can be gentle, everyday check-ins. A question at dinner. A moment in the car.

In our family, it often happens at bedtime with reading. Sometimes a small story about the day slips into our routine, and that opens the door to ask, “How did that make you feel?”

These small conversations build trust—and they teach our kids that they never have to hold everything inside until it overflows, and that no feeling is ever too messy to bring up. We still try this with our growing teen, who recently came to me in tears to explain how he was feeling in his relationship. Those moments remind me why these early conversations matter so much.

When we create space for our kiddos to empty their bottles, they practice regulating their emotions, expressing them, and talking them through. And we, as parents, can practice too. Allow yourself to be vulnerable and share your feelings as well—adults also need to empty their bottles.

When My Bottle Gets Too Full is more than a story.

It’s an invitation.

An invitation to pause.

To notice.

To ask.

To talk.

To listen.

Because when we teach our children how to recognize what’s filling their bottle—and give them safe, regular ways to let those feelings out—we’re not just helping them navigate today. We’re giving them emotional tools they’ll carry for the rest of their lives.

You can meet author Cristina McAllister at Indigo Chapters at Metrotown on March 22nd, 2026, where she will read aloud at 1:30 pm and sign books.

Order When My Bottle Gets Too Full from Indigo or from Amazon.