Young children have big feelings and it is easy to accidentally send the message that their feelings aren’t important. Try these tips for acknowledging your child’s feelings.

• Name your child’s feelings. This helps him learn to explain what he is feeling in the future.
  • “Sure looks like you are feeling sad.”
  • “Boy, do you look mad!”
• Try to normalize your child’s feelings so he is not embarrassed or ashamed.
  • “Crying is a good way to get the sad feelings out” or “I feel that way sometimes, too.”
• Try not to take big feelings personally.
  • Instead of “Don’t look at me that way” you can try saying, “It looks like you’ve had a really hard day.”
  • Sometimes it helps just to ask “Is there anything I can do?”
• Emotions can be big and overwhelming. Sometimes, children need comforting.
  • Instead of sending them to their room or time out to process emotions on their own, try saying, “It looks like you need a hug.”

This article from AHA! Parenting continues the conversation with the use of a feelings wheel. It’s a great way to teach children several different feelings and how to accurately use them! https://www.ahaparenting.com/blog/talking-with-kids-about-emotions-in-daily-life