Supporting the Child’s Emotional Development

Supporting children’s emotional development is one of the most important elements of early childhood education. Every child experiences a variety of emotions – from joy and excitement to frustration and sadness. It is important that we, as parents, teachers and caregivers, can help them understand these feelings and teach them how to deal with them.

But how to do it? Here are some key principles you can implement right away:

1. Recognizing emotions – let’s start with observation.

The first step in supporting a child is learning to recognize their emotions. Children, especially the youngest ones, don’t always know how to name what they feel. That’s why we, as adults, need to be vigilant and carefully observe their behavior. Here are some signals that can help us:

Changes in behavior: If a child suddenly becomes quiet, avoids contact, or is more irritable, it may mean that something is bothering them.
Facial expression: Emotions are often reflected in the face. Sadness, anger, confusion, or joy are easy to spot if you look carefully.
Physical reactions: Children can also react to emotions with their bodies – they may tense up, clench their fists, or hug more intensely.

2. Teach your child to name emotions.

Once we identify the child’s emotions, it is worth naming them. Children learn to understand their feelings through the words we use to describe them. Simple sentences such as “I see you are sad” or “You look angry, is something upsetting you?” help the child understand what is happening to him.

Use simple language: There is no need to introduce complicated names of emotions at the beginning. Let’s focus on basic feelings such as joy, sadness, anger, fear.
Read books about emotions: Many fairy tales and stories for children introduce the topic of emotions in a simple and accessible way. This is a great way to learn.

3. Acceptance of all emotions.

Children need to know that all emotions are natural and that they have the right to feel them. Anger, frustration, sadness – these feelings can be difficult, but they are a normal part of life. It is worth avoiding telling a child that they should not feel a certain way, e.g., “Don’t be sad” or “Don’t be angry.” Instead, we can say, “I understand that you are sad.”

4. Teach your child how to deal with difficult emotions.

Once your child learns to recognize and name their emotions, we can move on to the next step – learning how to deal with them. Here are some ways to do this:

Breathing techniques: Teach your child how to breathe calmly to calm down. Deep, slow breaths can help reduce tension and calm anger.
Drawing or writing: Sometimes children can cope better with emotions when they can express them creatively. Encourage your child to draw what they are feeling or to talk about their feelings.
Movement: Physical activity, such as jumping, running, or even dancing, can help release the tension associated with difficult emotions.
A hug: Sometimes a child just needs some closeness. A hug can act as a remedy for stress and feelings of confusion.

5. Be an example!

Children also learn about emotions by observing adults. How we deal with difficult situations has a huge impact on how our children will do so. If we show that we are able to deal with stress, anger or sadness in a calm and controlled way, the child will imitate our behavior.

Talk about your emotions: Don’t be afraid to tell your child that you’re also feeling angry or sad, but show them how you’re dealing with those feelings.
Show empathy: When your child is going through a tough time, instead of ignoring their emotions, show them that you understand what they’re feeling.

6. Support your child in solving problems.

Sometimes difficult emotions result from specific situations – conflicts with peers, failures or disappointments. In such moments, it is worth teaching your child how to deal with problems.

Encourage conversation: Ask your child what happened and together think about what can be done to improve the situation.
Teach conflict resolution: If the problem concerns relationships with other children, help your child understand how to resolve conflicts, e.g. by talking, compromising or asking an adult for help.

Supporting a child’s emotional development is a complex process that requires time, patience and commitment. It is important that we, as adults, are attentive to the emotions of our little ones, help them name them, accept all feelings and teach them how to deal with them. Thanks to this, our children will be more self-confident, will better understand themselves and others, and in the future, will cope better with the challenges of life.

Let us remember that learning emotions is a journey on which it is worth accompanying the child from an early age!