Identifying and labeling emotions is an important component while growing up. In fact, Emotional Regulation is essential for children’s overall well being. Parents need to teach their kids to handle emotions that will help them to foster healthy interactions with the environment around them.
For parents it takes lot of patience and perseverance to raise emotionally healthy children. Along with that, one needs warm and nurturing bond with the children. No matter how much guidance parents may provide, the children are going to feel sad, afraid, anxious and angry as they may fall into Emotional conflicts from time to time. Parents need to remember that they don't have to solve every emotional problem of the child. Let the child handle and experience emotions himself.
Generally, child ranging from age 1 to 16 shows temper tantrums, anger, stumping, door slamming, stubbornness, crying etc. Amongst teenagers silent treatment is very common as most of them may feel shy and timid. Helping children appropriately to manage and express their feelings is an important part of parenting.
Why emotional regulation is important?
Emotional regulation exactly means the ability to process and express range of emotions and ability to react in an appropriate way. Children experience different emotions and they are not able to comprehend them well as they don’t understand what to do when they feel a particular way.
Young children might also misinterpret other’s emotions and get confused, for example, they might not able to distinguish between sadness and anger at times. This makes it very important for adults to communicate their feelings to the children.
If a child knows, how to aptly handle emotions he can lead much more flourishing life and it impacts child’s social, emotional and cognitive development in a positive way.
Problems children face due to ineffective emotion handling-
• Such children are usually less socially competent and don’t easily mingle well.
• May face difficulty in coping with stressful situations.
• May show aggressive or ego-centric behaviors
• Such child may exhibit a limited range of emotions
• Display of negative emotions and outbursts
• Impacts school life and they become less productive in the classroom.
Benefits of good emotional regulation skills-
• Such children are able to display experience and manage a range of emotions.
• They mingle socially well
• Adjust well when there is change and transition from mood to another
• Show a high tolerance in crisis
