Children and feelings

Being a parent isn't easy and I'm sure you feel the crunch for time now that your child has returned to school. You may noticed a change with their behavior since returning to school, perhaps they aren't sleeping through the night, or their eating habits have changed (either increasing or decreasing). If you have noticed a change it may be time to connect with them emotionally and give them the space to talk about what they are feeling. 
Here are a few things to consider when you are talking to your child about their feelings:

• Children are entitled to their feelings, just like an adult
• You may want to find an appropriate time to bring up the topic of feelings (ie, the drive home from school may not be the best time if the child had a hard day at school)
• Parents or other caregivers should listen to the child when they talk about their feelings, (no interruptions while the child is talking).
• You can support your child while they work through their feelings by summarizing what you hear them say, for example a statement as simple as, "That sounds annoying" shows support as your child figures out what they want to do.

When I work with a child in therapy, I rehearse communication skills with the child, I validate his or her feelings and work with the parent(s) to increase the parent-child communication.