Children’s Emotional Wellbeing

This month, we focus on children’s development, and less often talked about, children’s emotions. This falls under Children’s Emotional Wellbeing. Under this, the way children feel about themselves and the way they respond to what happens around them. Healthy emotional development helps to raise well-rounded adults. Here are three ways to encourage positive emotional regulation in your child:

1. ‘Express’ – Allow your child to express their positive emotions with you
2. ‘Navigate’ – Navigate with your child any negative or difficult emotions that they may feel
3. ‘Socialise’ – Encourage and support age-appropriate friendships with their peers
4. ‘Exercise’ – Get your child involved in social and physical activities such as football, karate or dance to engage their minds and physical wellbeing

What hobbies & activities is your child participating in? Physical exercise and mental stimulation are a key part of your toto’s wellbeing. Football, karate, dance? These are great ways to get your child involved socially as well as getting them to move their bodies. Encourage art and creativity to stimulate their minds and engage different parts of the brain – you can join them and call out your inner child too! Helping your children navigate difficult emotions is one of the most important ways of teaching them to regulate their internal worlds and cope with conflict later on in life. Here are some positive signs to look out for:

1. Expressing emotion openly and confidently
2. Socialising with their peers and engaging in extracurricular activities
3. Feeling comfortable to express negative feelings, thoughts or emotions and coming to you to help them navigate and work through them

There’s no secret formula when it comes to conversations with your kids, but these are some of our tried-and-true conversation ideas that will foster a sense of connectedness in kids of all ages. 

1. Small acts of service – pack your child’s favourite lunch or add a treat to their school bag.
2. Share some positivity – take time to reflect on positive moments over a meal or quality time.
3. Make space for their feelings – allow them to verbalise their emotions without judgement.
4. Validate their feelings with phrases like “It makes sense that you feel that way” or “That sounds like it was hard, what can I do to help?”

Navigating healthy emotional regulation in your child is key to their ability to develop functional and beneficial coping skills later in life. We are here to help you raise well-rounded and healthy adults. For additional health and wellness support, feel free to visit our in-house nutritionists!