Talking about feelings
Guilt, shame, anger, envy, sadness, fear, loneliness…. etc etc these are all feelings or emotions.
Do we talk about these with our children. do they know that it is ok to have feelings. Maybe the feelings are telling us something. Do we know what to do with them? What should we do with them ?
If our children see us express our feelings, then we give our children permission to express their feelings too. Its ok to cry, be upset, be annoyed, be sad and feel lonely sometimes. Expressing emotion is allowing them to come out and not be supressed. Internalising emotions can lead to ways of numbing the pain: drugs, alcohol, bingeing, restricting food.
Learning how to express emotion in a safe way and with the right people can help children to deal better with strong feelings in adult life.
How do you deal with strong emotions in yourself and your children ?
