Teaching Your Child About Feelings
Teaching your child about feelings is not always easy. Children have a magical way of expressing themselves, not always with words, but with their actions and behaviors. Our children are like little detectives; they can uncover the secrets behind every giggle, frown, and outburst. In this exciting adventure of understanding feelings, we will explore the world of emotions and how behavior is a form of hidden communication.
This article shows how you can share the complex world of feelings with young children so they can easily understand.
What Are Emotions?
Emotions are the feelings that make our hearts sing or sometimes make them feel heavy. Just like the colors of a rainbow, there are many different emotions. For instance, when we are happy, our hearts feel as light as a feather, and we want to jump for joy! When we are sad, our hearts feel like they have rain clouds over them, and we might want to cry.
Children have so many feelings, just like grown-ups do. Some of the emotions they might feel include happiness, sadness, anger, excitement, and love. We can’t always see these emotions, but we can often see them in our behavior!
How Behavior is Hidden Communication
Let’s look at how behavior is like a secret message. When we are happy, we might laugh and play with our friends. We might dance around, share our toys, and show our biggest smiles. All these actions tell others that we are feeling happy. We are communicating our happiness through our behavior!
On the other hand, when we are feeling sad, we might sit quietly, frown, or even cry. These actions tell others that we are feeling sad. We are communicating our sadness through our behavior. We express emotions with our faces, our bodies and through what we do and say.
How to Decode Behavior
It’s like being a detective! We can learn to decode the messages hidden in our behavior. If you see a friend sharing their toys and laughing, you can guess they are happy. If a friend sits alone with a sad face, you can make a smart guess they might feel sad.
Here are some clues to help you decode behavior:
1. Facial Expressions: The face is like a storybook of emotions. A big smile usually means happiness, while a frown can mean sadness. When we feel happy, our eyes are bright and may have a twinkle. When we feel sad, our eyes may look down or may be teary.
2. Body Language: How we stand, walk, and move can tell much about our feelings. When someone is excited, they might jump up and down. When they are angry, they might stomp their feet. When they are sad, they may slouch.
3. Words: Sometimes, people tell us how they feel with words. For example, they might say, “I’m so happy!” or “I’m mad because my toy broke.”
4. Actions: What we do can also give us clues. If someone squeezes a stuffed animal, they might be looking for comfort because they’re scared or sad.
What Can We Do to Understand Our Friends?
Understanding our friends’ emotions and the hidden messages in their behavior is like building a bridge of friendship. Here are some ways to help our friends and ourselves:
1. Listen: Listen carefully when a friend talks about their feelings. Sometimes, they may tell us what’s in their hearts.
2. Ask: If you’re unsure how a friend feels, ask, “Are you okay?” or “How are you feeling today?” This shows that you care about them.
3. Be Kind: If you see a friend who looks sad, offer a hug, invite them to play, or share your toys with them. Your kindness can make them feel better.
4. Use Your Words: When you feel a certain way, like happy, sad, or excited, try to use your words to express it. This helps others understand you better.
Remember, emotions are a part of being human. We all have different feelings at different times. It’s okay to feel sad, angry, or scared sometimes. And it’s okay to show it!
Our Feelings Change
Just like the weather, our feelings can change from day to day. Today, you might be super excited about going to the park, but tomorrow, you might feel sad because it’s raining and you can’t go. That’s okay! Feelings are like waves in the ocean; they come and go.
It’s important to remember that even when we’re feeling sad or angry, it doesn’t mean we will feel this way forever. We will feel happy again. Emotions are temporary. Our feelings change, and we can help them adjust by being kind to ourselves and others. When we think nice thoughts, we start to feel better.
Understanding that behavior is a form of hidden communication is like having a magical key to unlock the mysteries of our hearts and the hearts of our friends. In early childhood, we learn not only our ABCs and 123s but also how to connect emotionally.
The next time you see a friend laughing, you’ll know they are happy. When you see a friend sitting alone with a frown, you can offer them a kind word or a warm hug. By decoding behavior and understanding the messages hidden within, we build strong friendships, making our world a happier and more caring place.
Remember, we all have feelings, and it’s okay to show them. So, let’s continue our adventure, exploring the beautiful world of emotions and learning how to express our feelings with kindness and understanding. When we do that, we make the world a better place for ourselves, our families, all our friends, and everyone else!
Kimberley Arnett-DeSimone, a career pediatric occupational therapist in Huntersville, North Carolina, authored this post.
