Want to know about the emotional development of your child? An essential thing that you can do as a parent to know about the feelings of your kid and wonder about their behavior’s meaning. Well! There is no degree in parenting. It will take some time to see the extraordinary qualities your kid brings with them right from the time of birth – what upsets them, what motivates them, and what makes them cry or laugh.
Let us talk about some tips that help you know what is going on in the mind of your child.
Tips to Know About the Emotional Development of Your Child
Parenting is something more than giving comfort to your kids. It includes being there for your kid emotionally and offering them a sense of safety. Below listed are some tips of the child psychology that will help you know your kids better:
1. Observation is Essential
Careful observation is the most effective and simple ways to learn about the experience of your child. Display your interest in which your kids are saying or doing. Notice their temperament, expressions, and actions. Remember! Every kid is unique. Your child is entirely different from their siblings. The below-listed questions can help you know about the psychology of your child:
- How much time does your child take to be familiar with their surroundings?
- Is your child willing to try or share new things?
- How your kid reacts when he/she has to do something they do not like, such as doing homework, going to bed, or eating specific foods?
- What does your kid love to do the most?
Just observe, do not judge while answering the questions.
2. Spend Quality Time with Your Kids
Nowadays, parents are busy working at home or at the office. Multi-tasking permits them to take care of numerous things simultaneously. If you are spending time with your child in this way, it is the time for a change. If you need to know your child, you should make time for them.
- Talking to your kids help you know what is going on in their life at home and school what their best TV show or music is, and what makes them happy and what do not.
- Quality times does not mean doing something and talking at the same time. Sometimes, you can just sit with your child and observe them get understanding about their experience.
3. Kids Benefit from Focused Attention
Focus your complete attention on listening to your kid, even for a short time. You may spend a lot of time while doing several tasks, such as driving them to school or cooking dinner. This time is essential; however, even 10 minutes of unique time can go a long way towards building a strong relationship with your kid and creating a positive environment for your home.
Try to do the activities that allow you to spend time with each kid. When you give your undivided attention to your kid, they feel validated and safe, and there are more chances that they will open up to you.
4. Be Aware of Your Kid’s Environment
A study has revealed that the environment shapes the attitudes and behavior of a child. The atmosphere of your home can affect the brain development of your child, which affects his cognitive skills and language development.
The quality of interactions and the people around your child affects their behavior. Take some time to check the ambience created at school and home.
5. Have a Basic Understanding of Brain Development
Relationships grow in the brain. When kids interact with a person who is focusing on them, it helps to develop connections between the brain cells. The brain is designed by the experiences that the kid has, and it affects how he or she responds to numerous situations.
If there are positive interactions, it can influence the growth of the brain to improve development healthily. On the other hand, several adverse experiences, for example, an environment of emotional neglect or constant fighting, can harm brain development.
You can help your kids make a solid base for a healthy emotional and social life, and enable them to manage demanding circumstances with a basic knowledge of the brain’s functions.
6. Listen
While talking with your kid, listening is essential. You can start a conversation to involve your child; however, try to listen to what they are trying to say. Children cannot express themselves; that’s why it is beneficial to focus on the words that they use along with their non-verbal cues.
Focus on:
- Posture, eye contact and body language
- Expressions, because they let you know how they feel
- Tone, the way they stress a phrase or word
Along with listening, let your kid know that they are taken seriously and being heard. Know what they speak and respond to let them understand that you are trying to understand what they state. If you are unable to understand, ask different questions for clarity and it helps you to know about their emotional development.
7. Kids Express Emotions in Different Ways
In addition to talking, kids express their feeling while performing different activities.
If your kids like to act, write, or draw, motivate them to do that more. Through attending a painting or art class, they can easily express themselves. You kid may prefer keeping a journal in which they can note what they did on a particular day and how they felt. The more your kid draws or writes, the better they can express themselves and it helps to improve their emotional development.
Try to show interest in their work; however, not to over-interpret or you can end up showing your emotions as theirs. If you cannot understand their work, spend some time to make everything clear.
Take the Challenge
Knowing the emotional development of your child takes effort and time. If you have more than one kid, everyone will be different. Though having a steady parenting style can be reassuring and helpful for all of your kids, flexibility as per the unique temperament of your child is essential. The care and time your take to know the emotional experience of your child will help them to develop into a healthy adult. For more, keep visiting our website.
