CREATING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT WHERE CHILDREN CAN SHARE THEIR CONCERNS AND WORRIES

Written by Lucy Hall

Modern life is fast and sometimes turbulent and children today can face a lot of stress which may have a negative impact on them. From academic pressures to social dynamics, the challenges a young child goes through can at times feel very overwhelming. Creating an environment where a child can feel free to express their problems in a safe space is key to open and honest communication. These spaces not only validate their feelings, little and big, but also provide you with the opportunity to give your child the emotional tools they need to help them navigate their worries and concerns.

The Importance of Safe Spaces

A child requires a comfortable and nurturing environment where they are able to express their concerns or worries, this is important for their emotional and mental health. Children in this environment can express themselves without fear of being judged or dismissed. This kind of reassurance can make all the difference in helping them to overcome their worries while validating their experiences.

Keeping Open Communication

When children understand that they are free to express their concerns, they are more likely to share their thoughts and feelings, giving them emotional strength. Children who learn to express their emotions develop a better understanding of others and develop empathy and regard them as well. 

Creating Trust and Sense of Security

A safe space is based on trust. Children must be taught that their input and concerns are important and that there are no negative consequences for expressing freely what is on their minds. Children are naturally open to sharing their private thoughts and this is strengthened by the creation of a safe space because they know they have a support system and someone to listen to them.

Less Anxiety and Fear

When a child is able to express their concerns, it can significantly reduce their anxiety and fears. When issues are talked about they almost always become more manageable. As children open up about their problems, they are offered advice and support that can help them understand and manage their fears.

Modelling Healthy Coping Mechanisms

Through open discussion of their concerns, children learn healthy ways of coping. They get to see how concerns are approached thoughtfully and calmly and they mirror these behaviours in their own lives. It is a lifelong skill they will carry forward into adulthood for promoting resilience.

Encouraging Problem-Solving

Communication about what bothers them allows children to actively participate in problem solving. If your child can talk to you about their worries the chances are that you may be able to help them find solutions, whether the issue is related to difficult social situations or a fear of the dark. Working through their problems helps them in growing a problem-solving mindset.

Nurturing Emotional Development

Sharing concerns regularly helps children develop their emotional literacy. They begin to pick up on feelings and learn how to express emotions such as fear, sadness or anxiety. Being able to understand their feelings is the path to self awareness and building positive relations with other people.

Encouraging Peer Support

Peer support can be encouraged by group facilitation. Children learn they are not alone in how they feel through talking about their experiences and listening to the experiences of others. This helps to create a feeling of community, which encourages peer understanding, empathy and friendship. 

Family Ties

Creating the opportunity for children to share their feelings can also help glue families together. Parents can build closer relationships if they listen to issues raised by their children. Creating opportunities for sharing with the view of developing stronger emotional bonds from interactions could help strengthen family ties and the general emotional atmosphere at home.

Identifying Individual Needs

Due to their individuality, children all communicate their concerns in different ways. The ability for children to express themselves in whatever way they feel comfortable can be provided in a safe space that accommodates these differences. Emotional growth in children requires taking into account their individual needs, regardless of how they communicate their emotions through play, art, or words.

Seeking Professional Help as Required

A child may voice worries and concerns that need to be addressed by a professional. The creation of a safe space that includes the possibility of professional intervention makes sure the child gets the support they need. It is also easier for children to receive help later on when there is less judgement associated with mental health support.

Having fun and creative approaches

You can also build in some fun and creative ways to talk about worries and concerns to reduce the fears of sharing. Storytelling, drawing or acting can be used as an avenue to express oneself indirectly when voicing fears, hence making the process more natural and less overwhelming.

Parent Education

In order to give your children safe places, it’s essential that as parents you educate yourself.  This could be achieved through workshops and resources which would help equip you with tools for active listening, asking open-ended questions and maintaining an empathetic and understanding environment.  The more educated parents are, the more successful and effective their support for their children will be.

Patience and Empathy

Above all, you need to be patient. Building a safe space where a child will feel free to open up about his/her feelings takes time.The creation of a non-judgmental and supportive environment is key in letting children feel comfortable enough to bring themselves into the open.

Teaching children that they are responsible for their feelings is a life gift that stays with them into adulthood