Parents are learning to teach their kids how to deal with emotions like disappointment, sadness, and anger.
There’s a difference between intentionally causing your children emotional pain, and allowing them to experience a wide variety of emotions so they know how to handle them.
You can’t protect your kids from everything…
They’re bound to experience upset, frustration, anger, and sadness…
(Have you seen what happens when your little one wants to hold your cell phone and you don’t let her? Or when your teen wants to take the car and you don’t want him to?)
Emotional upset happens…
But if you try to prevent your kids from experiencing those negative emotions, you may be doing more harm than good.
Just think about it…
If your child is given everything he or she wants and never has an opportunity to feel disappointment, how do you think your child will deal with those kinds of situations as an adult?
They’ll be so used to getting their way, that they’ll be very difficult to get along with…
Or your child will suddenly feel the disappointment but won’t have the skills to know how to deal with it and manage his own disappointment.
Not a pretty picture.
Instead of trying to make your child AVOID all uncomfortable emotions, focus on teaching your kids how to deal with emotions like disappointment, sadness, anger, frustration, etc.
Here are some things you can do with your children:
- Help them name their feelings.
- Be a good role model. When you’re upset, name your own feeling and then talk about how you’re going to resolve it.
“I’m upset that we’re running late. I’m just going to take a few deep breaths to try to calm down.”
Then let your kids see you do the deep breathing.
- Help them become good problem solvers by saying things like, “Oh, looks like your friend wants to play with that toy right now. Is there something else you’d like to play with?”
Negative emotions are a part of life – but they don’t have to be negative. Think of them more like opportunities to learn how to be a better person through all of life and your child will be more well-rounded and have an easier time adapting as a teenager and adult.
More Parenting Advice: Do you think it’s a good idea for parents to try to shield their kids from any negative emotions?
Working To Shield Your Child From Emotional Pain [The Parenting Practice]
