Why Talking About Emotions is Not Enough

When your child is sad, angry or anxious, it's not enough to simply rationalise why they are feeling these things in order to make them feel better or to stop the unpleasant behaviour. Emotions are more than just intellectual thoughts - they cause physical responses. So the best way to help your child with their emotions is to allow them to physically express themselves with you. Crying, raging & laughing are powerful ways to move through upset emotions. The more your child can do this with you, the more they can release their upset feelings and the better they behave & can cope with challenging situations. This isn't about allowing them to hit anyone or be destructive. Instead it's about recognising what they really need in those moments and finding ways to effectively help them.