How can I help my child express their feelings?
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wristbands australia how to help a child express themselves help child express emotions emotion wristbands emotion bands

Maybe your child is going through a difficult time, like changing schools or coping with the loss of a pet or loved one. Or perhaps they have always had difficulty processing how they feel.

Whatever the reason, know that there are simple and effective ways you can help your child express emotions to ensure they enjoy good self-esteem and mental health.

We’re going to offer you some ideas on how to help a child express themselves in this article, with simple tips and tricks to process and manage those challenging emotions.

Introduce them to journaling

Journaling is the practice of writing down or drawing your thoughts and feelings, and it can be an invaluable tool for a child who has difficulty expressing themselves.

Gift them a new notebook and some pens, coloured pencils or paints and encourage them to write or draw a short entry every day.

They can use prompts such as:

  • What went well today?
  • What could have gone better?
  • What are you grateful for today?
  • What do you want to change for tomorrow?
  • What made you laugh today?

With practice, your child will get used to identifying and processing their emotions, positive and negative, and will reach a better understanding of how they feel.

Give them an emotion wristband

Emotion wristbands are a really simple way for children to express their feelings. At Handband, our emotion wristbands are made of silicone and have one side with a red background and frowning face and the other side coloured green with a smiley face.

A child who has difficulty expressing themselves or is perhaps non-verbal can simply flip the emotion wristband to the appropriate side to show how they feel.

This process works especially well in classroom or group settings, where a child may find it challenging to speak up and ask for help.

Plain wristbands can also be customised with a message of your child’s choice to help them say how they really feel without inhibition.

Practise role play

Helping your child to act out their thoughts and feelings is a safe and valuable tool for understanding their emotions.

If they have had an argument with a friend at school, for example, and are feeling hurt and angry, you can take on the role of the friend and try to explain how they might also be feeling.

This can help foster empathy in a child as well as an understanding of their own feelings.

Use art as therapy

Most children love creating things, so encourage them to draw or paint their feelings as a way to identify and process their feelings.

And remember that art therapy doesn’t have to be limited to drawing pictures. Your child might prefer to dance, write or perform their way through their challenging emotions.

It’s a way of turning sometimes negative feelings into something uplifting, positive and transforming.

Model positive behaviour

Think of all the things your child has already learnt from you — and just keep on doing what comes naturally!

When your child sees you managing challenging situations, disappointments and frustrations appropriately, they will mimic you and use your strategies to help themselves.

Don’t be afraid to talk your child through how you are coping with your emotions. Honesty and transparency will help them understand that the whole spectrum of emotions is a part of day-to-day life and it’s completely normal to experience them.

Encourage expression through physical activity

If your child has difficulty channelling powerful emotions such as anger, frustration or anxiety, you can encourage to burn them off through physical activity.

You can teach them that if they feel their emotions welling up, it’s OK to physically act them out by kicking a ball around the garden, going for a brisk walk or any other exercise that they enjoy.

The physical effort required will help them express their emotions safely, without resorting to harming themselves or others.

Emotion wristbands delivered through Australia

Helping your child to identify, manage and express their emotions is one of the many valuable gifts you can give them as a parent.

And it doesn’t have to be difficult. There are so many ways to help your child develop their emotional intelligence and understand that despite life’s challenges, there are ways to problem-solve your way through.

One of the simplest methods of managing and expressing emotions is to invest in emotion bands for your child. Even if they are reluctant to say how they feel, your child can indicate their emotions by letting their wristband talk for them.

Know that Handband emotion wristbands are an attractive and relatable way for your child to show how they feel. And we’ll deliver your wristbands wherever you are in Australia to help give your child a head start on their emotional wellbeing journey.