Children's Special: How To Recognise And Talk About Your Feelings As A Child

Feelings can sometimes be strange and confusing, especially for children.

As kids, we’re often told to “be tough” or “suck it up” when we’re upset or overwhelmed. But the truth is, children have big emotions just like adults do.

As a child, knowing how to understand and express your emotions is important for your growth and development. When kids can identify and describe what they’re feeling, it helps them understand themselves better, build stronger relationships, and learn to cope with hard feelings. It also sets them up for better emotional intelligence and mental health in the future.

Of course, this can be tricky for children. Kids still have developing emotional and language skills, so it’s hard for them to find the right words to describe what they’re going through. They may also feel ashamed, scared, or confused by certain emotions and not know how to share them.

The role of parents, teachers, and caregivers is to create a safe, supportive space for kids to express their feelings. By teaching emotional intelligence from a young age, they can give children the tools they need to understand, accept, and communicate their emotions. It’s a gift that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.

In this article, I’ll share practical ways to help children recognise, express, and walk through their emotions in a healthy and positive way, so if you’re a child reading this, get ready to learn new things.

Understanding Your Feelings

Let’s start by talking about the different types of feelings.

Positive feelings, like being happy, excited, or proud, make us feel good and help us stay motivated.
Negative feelings, such as sadness, anger, and fear, can be tough to deal with, but it’s important to recognise and understand them too.

Next, paying attention to how your body reacts can help you figure out what you’re feeling. When you have a fast-beating heart or tight chest, that can be a sign of a certain emotion. Your facial expressions and the way you move your body, like frowning or clenching your fists, can also give clues about how you’re feeling.

Also, learning new words for feelings is important. Words like “frustrated,” “content,” or “anxious” can help you better explain how strongly you’re feeling something. This can lead to better communication and a deeper understanding of your experiences.

Communicating Your Feelings to Your Parents

First, it’s important to have a safe and open environment where you feel comfortable expressing yourself. Your parents should encourage you to share your feelings and avoid responding in ways that make you feel dismissed or like your feelings don’t matter.

When talking to your parents, it’s best to do it constructively. Use “I” statements, like “I feel sad when…” This helps explain how you’re feeling without blaming your parents. You can also describe the situation that led to those feelings and how they affect you.

Sometimes, your parents’ actions or behaviours may cause certain feelings. If that’s the case, you can explain how their actions make you feel. Then, you can suggest other ways they could respond that would be more supportive.

How to Express Your Feelings

One way to express your feelings is through verbal communication. You can talk to your parents, teachers, or other adults you trust about how you feel. You can also write down your feelings in a journal or a letter.

Another way to express your feelings is through creative activities. You could draw or paint pictures that show how you feel. You could also act out your feelings through role-playing or by telling stories.

Finally, you can use physical activities to help express your feelings. Doing things like playing sports, going for a walk, or using stress balls or other fidget toys can be great ways to release your emotions healthily.

Parental Support and Guidance

Parents need to validate and acknowledge their child’s feelings. This means letting the child know their feelings are real and understandable, even if difficult.

Parents should listen without judging or trying to fix things right away, but they can offer their guidance and help the children find ways to deal with their feelings. This might mean talking through the situation, offering suggestions, or even helping the child come up with a plan to feel better. The key is to work together to find solutions.

Conclusion

In the end, it’s so important for kids to be able to recognise and talk about their feelings. This helps them understand themselves better and develop important emotional skills.

As a parent, you can make a difference by encouraging your children to express their emotions and create a safe, supportive environment for them to do so.