Helping Your Child to Manage Their Emotions

 **Advertisement Feature**

Being able to show emotion and feeling open and comfortable enough to show emotion is a big deal and its one we should all be doing, emotions are nothing to be ashamed of. However managing our emotions is one of the ways we’re able to handle stressful situations, overcome obstacles and learn to be resilient. Even as adults there are times when we have to learn to be in control and manage our emotions in certain situations such as perhaps work. But children won’t fully know how to do this for themselves just yet but that doesn't mean we shouldn't talk to children about emotions, encourage them to show and share their emotions and how to manage them too. 

From one of the best independent schools in Surrey, we take a look at the ways you can help your child to handle their emotions in school and in daily life.

If your child is feeling upset, help them identify their emotions

Being able to pin point the emotion we are feeling or to know what emotion we are feeling is a big deal. Even if it’s a piece of paper with various different faces on them, ranging from happy and sad to confused and angry, knowing what emotion they are feeling can help relieve frustration. That is because they’ll be able to point at the emotion and you can talk through how they can overcome the issue or comfort them if needed. If they’re able to identify how they’re feeling children are more likely to be able to manage their emotions by themselves or enlist help if they need it. 

If your child can identify their feelings, praise them for it

Half of the battle is your child learning to understand what the problem is, why they’re feeling a certain way and what can be done to fix it. Tell them you’re pleased that they know the emotion they’re feeling, as it shows they’re becoming smarter and more aware of their surroundings. Acknowledging the emotion is the best thing we as parents can do, it helps the child become less frustrated and means a quicker solution or help can be found. 

Ensure your child has plenty of sleep and has a healthy diet

Part of learning to control your own feelings comes from what you eat each day and the amount of sleep you get every night. Feeling hungry and tired can make you short tempered and want something to be over with quickly, whereas a well-rested and healthy eating person is much more likely to get involved in social activities and solve problems. Promote a healthy way of life at home by making sure your child has their 5 a day, drinks plenty of water and gets at least 8 hours of sleep a night.

Show your child how you cope with your own emotions

If tensions are high at home then you can always show your child what you do every time they feel a moment of stress or they feel their emotions are going to run out of control. If you take a breather for 3 minutes, or do long deep breaths for a minute to calm yourself down, get your child involved and see how they feel afterwards. Another way of controlling your feelings is by writing them down or going for a walk to blow away the cobwebs.

How do you help your child notice their emotions and manage them? Are there any techniques you use as an adult that have really helped your child too? 

xXx

**This is a collaborative post.**