Childhood can be a stressful time in a child’s life. They will go through many changes like having to move schools and changing friendship circles. This can all be a lot for them if they don’t know how to manage their emotions, especially if they suffer from a pre-existing mental health condition. This makes it a vital lesson for children to be taught. We have some guidance below from an independent school in Northampton on how you can help your child to manage and regulate their emotions.
- Mindfulness
Mindfulness, as touched on in a previous article, is a way to ground yourself to the present moment and focus on that around you. When stressed, we lose sight of this and become very overwhelmed by the things that we cannot change in the past or that which is yet to happen. Either way, you can use mindfulness to help your child relax and come to terms with things and the fact that they can control the present.
- Mindfulness Techniques
There are various ways in which you can practice mindfulness. Many focus on breathing as it’s something which we can do anyway without having to focus on anything in particular. This is also because it helps to increase oxygen flow, helping us to think rationally and feel calmer.
Other techniques incorporate a breathing technique for this reason like the body scan technique which involves thinking about what one can feel in different parts of the body. Some like to do activities too like colouring which gives them something to focus on.
- Speaking to Someone
Talking is just as important. If your child feels sad, angry, stressed or anything else in between, it’s important that they are aware that they can talk to others in order to get help. You should remind them of this and try to create a space for them where they feel comfortable enough to talk to you.
Teaching your child how to manage their emotions at a very young age will have a positive impact on how they handle difficult challenges and will make them stronger
