If your child is anything like mine, he or she will likely be filled with intense emotions on a regular basis. And I am sure you will know that parenting a child with intense emotions can be tricky to say the least! Sometimes these emotions will be happy ones, and other times they may be sad or frustrated. No matter the emotion, your child is probably feeling it all on their own and at their own pace.
When parenting a child with intense emotions, the problem arises when these strong emotions start to spill over into your daily life. For example, if your child is mad because they were not able to play with a friend after school until 6:00 p.m., then they may lash out at you the next time you ask them to do something.
As a parent, you have a unique opportunity to help children channel their strong emotions in positive ways. Doing so helps them develop resilience and self-control as well as a more secure attachment with you and other adults in their lives. In this blog post we will explore some parenting strategies that can help guide you in parenting a child with intense emotions in order to maintain a calm and happy home for everyone involved!
Show And Teach
Show your child that emotions are okay and even normal. This can be difficult for parents who are not comfortable with their child expressing strong emotions, but it is important. When you show your child that strong emotions are normal and okay, they will feel more comfortable expressing them when they are needed. Showing a child that strong emotions are okay allows them to feel more free to express them when they are needed.
This will help them feel confident in themselves and their feelings which can only be a good thing for your child. You can also model different ways of dealing with emotions. For example, you may be feeling frustrated when your child acts up in a specific way. If you are with your child, you can practice breathing out and focusing on another task. This will help you remain calm and not engage in a power struggle over your own feelings.
When your child is having a strong emotion, you can encourage them to express it. You can let them know that it is okay to feel how they are feeling and even to cry or get frustrated if they are having a meltdown. When a child has a strong emotion, it is important to understand what is happening to them. Stating when you see a child getting frustrated or frustrated that they are having a strong emotion, you can explain to your child what is happening in a simple way. You can let your child know that they are feeling a certain way because they are frustrated or upset about something. This will help your child understand what is happening inside of themselves and why they are having strong emotions.
Make Time For Connections
Make time for connecting with your child. This could mean doing something together, sitting down and sharing a snack, or just sitting next to each other and reading a book. When you make time for connecting with your child, you are building a strong connection with them. This will help you develop a stronger connection with your child which will in turn help your child become more attached and attached to you. Having a strong connection with a child will also help you when they are having an emotion.
When your child is experiencing intense emotion, they will want to connect with you and want you to be there for them. It is important to give them time to process what is happening in their own head. This could mean letting them be for a few minutes before offering any kind of contact or distraction. Try to make time for connecting when the rest of your family is available to do so. This will help you establish a strong connection with your child outside of the typical daily interactions.
Fostering Empathy Can Help Create Resilience
Resilience can be a tricky thing to define, but it is important to recognize that your child may not be able to handle every difficult situation that comes their way. By fostering empathy, you can help your child develop the skills necessary to be more resilient. Empathy is the ability to understand how another person is feeling by using your own feelings as a reference point. If your child does not have the skills of empathy, then they may become more anxious or upset in the future due to a difficult situation that has come up. You can foster empathy in several ways.
First, try to have an open dialogue with your child about their feelings. This can be difficult, but it is important. Secondly, try to notice if your child is having a tough time being empathetic. If your child seems to have a hard time relating to their own feelings, they should be engaged in some sort of activity that helps them connect with those feelings.
Show The Difference Between Feelings And Behaviours
An intense feeling might be feeling angry, frustrated, fear or despiar. These are all appropriate emotions in particular circumstances. However, it’s important to know that these feelings should not be acted out with inappropriate behaviours such as biting, hitting, or throwing something. These behaviours are different than feelings and it is important to understand that they are not okay and something needs to be done.
It can be helpful to think of behaviours as being “out of your control’ while feelings are something that you are experiencing. With this in mind, try to remember to put a positive spin on any “behaviour” issues that your child may be experiencing.
Teach By Example
Try to model positive behaviours when your child is with you. By doing this, you are showing your child that these behaviours are okay and that they are okay to feel and express. It is important to remember that while you want your child to learn good behaviours while they are with you, you also want them to learn to be okay with themselves after they are no longer with you.
Plan ahead and Set Limits Consistently
All children need solid boundaries and limits, and this is even more the case when parenting a child with strong emotions. When setting limits, it is important to have them be consistent. This will help your child understand both the limits and the reason for them. By having limits that are consistent, your child will have a better understanding of what is expected of them, feel safe within these boundaries and help them to become more self-reliant and better at self regulating their emotions.
Breathe
Parenting a child with strong emotions is tough! Remember to breathe and build in time for self care for yourself as a parent. A child with strong emotions has an even bigger cup that needs to be filled. That means you need to pay extra attention to filling up your cup adequately first too. And remember, this too shall pass. As a parent who had very intense emotions in the early years, I can tell you that at nine years old she has evened out a lot now. So there is always hope and easier times ahead.
I’m so glad you posted this, I am still learning ways to parent both my 6 and 8 year old who have experienced alot of trauma, they have really big emotions and sometimes I just don’t know how to handle the situation or how to help them. Though I’m going to try and practice what you have written .