Responding to Your Child’s Emotions
Author: Genie Price
From happiness and love, fear and anxiety to anger and frustration, just like adults, young babies and children experience an array of emotions. Some of which they have little to no control over.
That is until they have been taught the necessary skills to identify and understand them.
Understanding emotional awareness and recognising feelings is important as it will help your child in various ways,
Through interactions, your child will learn to read the emotions of other people, and how these emotions influence their exchanges with others
Being aware of emotions will support the development of working with others and problem-solving
Helping your child to learn about their emotions supports the overall development of their self-regulation skills, resilience and helps to build a strong sense of self
What ways can you help?
Manage your own feelings: This one is at the top of the list.
We all have our off days, however, because children learn by imitation, the first thing you need to consider before you deal with your child’s emotions, is how you respond to your own.
Think of it this way:
By demonstrating how you manage your own feelings, your child learns from you how to do the same
Learning to recognise that your little angel has pushed your buttons and what triggers you – will also help you to identify what the next step is
Make talking to your child about feelings a normal part of every day. You can do this by naming feelings in yourself and others, and encouraging your child to do the same, such as saying “I’m feeling tired right now, how are you feeling?”
Remember, you are not alone. So, don’t be embarrassed to have these conversations with other parents and friends, you might get new ideas and strategies to use
Arm your child with reliable strategies: No army is any good without the proper training. When dealing with children’s emotions, psychologists suggest arming them with some useful techniques.
By introducing calming techniques, you will enable your child to learn control. It will also teach them how to respond appropriately should they be feeling overwhelmed.
Some ideas for you to try are:
Physical activity – such as stretching, yoga and meditation. Learning correct breathing techniques can also help your child through a stressful situation
Sensory play activities – Sensory play has a calming effect by allowing your child to focus on one sense (often touch) and “block out” others
Using imaginative or creative thinking can help your child to better understand stressful situations and to practice solutions, such as the use of social stories and role-play activities
Tips for Infants and Young Toddlers:
For infants and young toddlers, having a soothing and responsive parent as well as a calming environment increases their ability to handle stress and begin to self-regulate emotions. The following may help calm a young child:
Motion – Rocking, walking, dancing or using swings can help a child to breathe more regularly
Music – Calm, quiet music, either sung or using a tape or CD can help soothe a child
Changing position – The way that you hold or carry can help calm a very young child. Try changing positions and to see how a child will respond
Reduce Stimulation – Try dimming the lights and reducing the amount of noise in the room
Teach them to empathise: Young children often pay little mind to the effect that their behaviours might have on someone else. If your child bites, hits or kicks, get down to his level and calmly ask how he might feel if someone did that to him. Prompt them to give it some thought by asking “if your sister kicked you, how would you feel?”.
Talk it out: If your child has a “meltdown”, talk them through it: “Did you feel angry that Annie didn’t listen to you?”… “What can we do to work through these feelings?” To better understand and respond to the emotions your child is having, they need to have labels for each of them.
Other tips:
Be as warm, caring and responsive towards your child as you can and practice patience
Remember that children are affected by the feelings, behaviours, and interactions of others – it’s important to monitor your own wellbeing and ask for help and support when you need it
Seek medical advice if you feel as though your child’s emotional wellbeing is compromised in any way, as some medical reasons for the ongoing concerns, may be present
Children come into the world with basic needs and as they grow, they continue to need not only love and attention but responsive adults who can help them manage their emotions effectively.
References:
https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au
https://healthyfamilies.beyondblue.org.au/age-6-12/raising-resilient-children/managing-emotions
About the Author:
With a little over 14 years of early childhood education experience behind me, my knowledge and passion for children and their development is evident. I obtained my Degree in Early Childhood Education in September 2013. Where originally from New Zealand, I have lived in Australia for 6 years now and I live in regional WA.