{"id":83000000296,"date":"2019-09-16T08:21:35","date_gmt":"2019-09-16T08:21:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/?p=83000000296"},"modified":"2019-09-20T08:32:59","modified_gmt":"2019-09-20T08:32:59","slug":"6-strategies-to-help-your-child-express-their-emotions-appropriately","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/2019\/09\/16\/6-strategies-to-help-your-child-express-their-emotions-appropriately\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Strategies to Help Your Child Express Their Emotions Appropriately"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Children are tiny human beings. We, as parents and teachers or caretakers, often forget this fact. They experience a full range of emotions whether it\u2019s joy, anger, sadness, or even physical feelings and sensations such as pain and hunger.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>They might not always have the right words or tools to express, describe or display these very complex emotions. After all, neither do most adults if we\u2019re being honest.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not because of their age alone; human emotions are a complex thing for anyone\u2014big or small, young or old\u2014to experience. No emotion is negative; each has its own value and its own place in our experiences.<\/p>\n<p>When as <a href=\"https:\/\/psychcentral.com\/lib\/10-reasons-you-cant-say-how-you-feel\/\"><u>adults, we struggle to emote clearly<\/u><\/a>\u00a0and express how we feel, how difficult would it be for our kids, who lack the vocabulary the understanding of what makes for an appropriate response?<\/p>\n<h2><strong><b>How can I help my child express their emotions?<\/b><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>As the grown up, it\u2019s important that you take care of your child\u2019s needs. Not just their basic needs for survival, such as food, clothing and shelter, but their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mhanational.org\/what-every-child-needs-good-mental-health\"><u>mental and emotional needs<\/u><\/a>\u00a0too.<\/p>\n<p>These needs extend beyond just the surface. A lot of the choices and actions you take as a parent can have a lasting impact on your child. For a well-rounded, mentally and emotionally stable child, who grows into an adult of the same kind, certain things are essential. For instance:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Unconditional love and support<\/li>\n<li>A stable home and family environment<\/li>\n<li>Safety<\/li>\n<li>Learning environments that are supportive<\/li>\n<li>High-self esteem and sense of self-worth<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When there is a gap with any\u2014or many\u2014of the above, the child might experience confusion, hurt, neglect or emotional turmoil. Often, despite there being adequate support, love and stability in their daily lives, there can be an incident or an external factor that upsets them.<\/p>\n<p>How else can a child\u2014who doesn\u2019t quite understand that throwing a cup of water or their favorite toy across the room is not okay\u2014supposed to express that they\u2019re upset? Not every child will be demure or expressive, or even old enough to know the word \u2018sad,\u2019 or \u2018angry.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>And what about those kids who aren\u2019t loud or boisterous enough to throw a tantrum meant to show how they feel? Many of these quieter kids tend to react by shutting down. They stop interacting and engaging or talking altogether. This is beyond the point of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/intl\/blog\/shyness-is-nice\/201205\/worried-about-your-quiet-child-one-mother-another\"><u>just being shy,<\/u><\/a>\u00a0especially socially.<\/p>\n<p>If your kid is unable to open up or show how they feel, it might be a problem.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-image wp-image--no-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-83000000298 \" src=\"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2019\/09\/problem.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"635\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>This is where you come in as a parent. Whether it\u2019s brought on by a sudden onslaught of behavioral issues and tantrums, a quieter than usual kid, a kid that\u2019s refusing to eat, or is needier than before, there are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellfamily.com\/child-behavioral-warning-signs-to-watch-for-2794959\"><u>warning signs<\/u><\/a>\u00a0to watch out for.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps it hasn\u2019t even come to that point, and you\u2019re just looking to teach your child how to express themselves better in any situation. There\u2019s no such thing as \u2018too early\u2019 to equip your child with the right tools and techniques for showing you how they feel\u2014you are, after all, their primary confidante and caretaker.<\/p>\n<p>Start by adopting the following habits and building up from there. These are tips and tricks that can be adapted for children of various ages and levels of maturity. And even though they\u2019re situational, these are good habits to practice in general:<\/p>\n<h2><b>1)\u00a0<\/b><strong><b>Keep Your Emotions in Check and Stay Calm <\/b><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s easy to lose your cool when your toddler or even older kid is throwing a tantrum, screaming, crying bloody murder and refuses to cooperate. You just want to snap at them, tug their little ear and tell them off.<\/p>\n<p>Often your anger can aggravate their emotions and lead to more of a resistance. With emotions flying around like that, it\u2019s not doing anybody much good.<\/p>\n<p>Take a breath; step away if you need to; ignore other people if you\u2019re in public and calm down.<\/p>\n<h2><b>2)\u00a0<\/b><strong><b>Comfort and Connect With Them <\/b><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Comfort your child. Reach out to them, support them, hold them if they let you. Sometimes physical touch can be incredibly calming and offer a sense of security for the crying or angry child.<\/p>\n<p>Let them know that you\u2019re there with them and you\u2019re on their side. Connect with them through touch or give them the space they need.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t impose yourself on them or force them to embrace you. Let them find safety on their own terms. Remember, they\u2019re human beings with complex emotions; not just puppets that you can will to do anything.<\/p>\n<h2><b>3)\u00a0<\/b><strong><b>Name the Feeling\u2014Or Offer a Name and Let Them Decide <\/b><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Once you\u2019re able to connect or even talk from a distance, ask them what\u2019s wrong. It\u2019s that simple. Ask them how they\u2019re feeling, why they\u2019re feeling that way and offer names for emotions. Is it sadness? Is it anger? Is it neither? Even if they\u2019re unable to offer a word right there, they\u2019ll have the comfort of feeling heard and noticed. It\u2019s incredibly important to do whatever you can to provide them the scaffolding they need.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-image wp-image--no-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-83000000299 \" src=\"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2019\/09\/Decide.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"639\" \/><\/figure>\n<h2><b>4)\u00a0<\/b><strong><b>Empathize<\/b><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>This goes without saying; your empathy means everything! Don\u2019t patronize them or think of it as another tantrum\u2014you\u2019ll know when it\u2019s more than that\u2014but offer empathy at all times.<\/p>\n<p>How would you, as an adult who is upset by something that happened, or that someone did, feel if you decided to show your feelings and be met with more anger? Or got told off for being dramatic and unreasonable?<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve all been there; we\u2019ve all done that. This can escalate to a form of <a href=\"https:\/\/themighty.com\/2018\/12\/parents-gaslighting-emotional-abuse\/\"><u>emotional abuse and gaslighting,<\/u><\/a>\u00a0and you don\u2019t want to hurt your children like that. Remember, you are their safety net; you\u2019re their primary companion. Exercise that empathy they need.<\/p>\n<h2><b>5)\u00a0<\/b><strong><b>Offer Alternatives of Expression, Not Punishments <\/b><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Again, you wouldn\u2019t like to be met with a punishment, or deprivation for experiencing a normal, natural human emotion right? Then why do that to your child? Don\u2019t punish them unnecessarily and scare them from ever opening up to you. Instead, present them with alternatives. You can use emotion charts, reward systems, codewords and so much more to teach them expression. It\u2019s about what works for you and your little one.<\/p>\n<p>Together, as parents and educators, we must work to provide our kids with healthy coping mechanisms and raise happy, well balanced individuals.<\/p>\n<p>At our <a href=\"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/programs\/preschool-childcare-program\/\"><u>preschool and daycare center in Oviedo, FL<\/u><\/a>, we try our best to help your kids grow. To learn more about our affordable daycare program, we encourage you to <a href=\"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/contact-us\/\"><u>reach out to us here.<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Children are tiny human beings. We, as parents and teachers or caretakers, often forget this fact. They experience a full range of emotions whether it\u2019s joy, anger, sadness, or even physical feelings and sensations such as pain and hunger.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":388,"featured_media":83000000297,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[83000000011],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-83000000296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>6 Strategies to Help Your Child Express Their Emotions Appropriately<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"They might not always have the right words or tools to express, describe or display these very complex emotions.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/2019\/09\/16\/6-strategies-to-help-your-child-express-their-emotions-appropriately\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"6 Strategies to Help Your Child Express Their Emotions Appropriately\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"They might not always have the right words or tools to express, describe or display these very complex emotions.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/2019\/09\/16\/6-strategies-to-help-your-child-express-their-emotions-appropriately\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Oviedo\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-09-16T08:21:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-09-20T08:32:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2019\/09\/Appropriately-1200x630.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"amber\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"amber\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"6 Strategies to Help Your Child Express Their Emotions Appropriately","description":"They might not always have the right words or tools to express, describe or display these very complex emotions.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/2019\/09\/16\/6-strategies-to-help-your-child-express-their-emotions-appropriately\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"6 Strategies to Help Your Child Express Their Emotions Appropriately","og_description":"They might not always have the right words or tools to express, describe or display these very complex emotions.","og_url":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/2019\/09\/16\/6-strategies-to-help-your-child-express-their-emotions-appropriately\/","og_site_name":"Oviedo","article_published_time":"2019-09-16T08:21:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-09-20T08:32:59+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2019\/09\/Appropriately-1200x630.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"amber","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"amber","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/2019\/09\/16\/6-strategies-to-help-your-child-express-their-emotions-appropriately\/","url":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/2019\/09\/16\/6-strategies-to-help-your-child-express-their-emotions-appropriately\/","name":"6 Strategies to Help Your Child Express Their Emotions Appropriately","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/2019\/09\/16\/6-strategies-to-help-your-child-express-their-emotions-appropriately\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/2019\/09\/16\/6-strategies-to-help-your-child-express-their-emotions-appropriately\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2019\/09\/Appropriately.png","datePublished":"2019-09-16T08:21:35+00:00","dateModified":"2019-09-20T08:32:59+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/#\/schema\/person\/0edfc2906ff6898ae0f15d32db795a80"},"description":"They might not always have the right words or tools to express, describe or display these very complex emotions.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/2019\/09\/16\/6-strategies-to-help-your-child-express-their-emotions-appropriately\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/2019\/09\/16\/6-strategies-to-help-your-child-express-their-emotions-appropriately\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/2019\/09\/16\/6-strategies-to-help-your-child-express-their-emotions-appropriately\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2019\/09\/Appropriately.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/2019\/09\/Appropriately.png","width":3375,"height":2250},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/2019\/09\/16\/6-strategies-to-help-your-child-express-their-emotions-appropriately\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"6 Strategies to Help Your Child Express Their Emotions Appropriately"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/#website","url":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/","name":"Oviedo","description":"Just another Kids &#039;R&#039; Kids site","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/#\/schema\/person\/0edfc2906ff6898ae0f15d32db795a80","name":"amber","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/936bebc2f8545d7d78b9645c86b941d4f46fbdd74fd2efe304be17bff562920e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/936bebc2f8545d7d78b9645c86b941d4f46fbdd74fd2efe304be17bff562920e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"amber"},"url":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/author\/amber\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83000000296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/388"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=83000000296"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83000000296\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/83000000297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=83000000296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=83000000296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kidsrkids.com\/oviedo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=83000000296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}