Children are sensitive beings and are emotionally driven when they are young. The mental and emotional development in early life is very important as it greatly impacts their adult life.
You may be there for your child every step to help them learn new things but being emotionally available for your child is one of the best things you can do for them. Often parents ignore the signs of early childhood trauma or depression while their kids are growing up.
Parents need to understand that children also have emotional needs like adults, and it is essential to listen and treat them gently. Toxic parenting can negatively impact children in the long-term that can lead to a decline in mental health and self-destructive behaviors in kids. If you want to adopt healthy parenting styles and understand their emotional needs, here are a few tips on being emotionally available for your child.
Love And Care
The first thing every child need is unconditional love and care from their parents. Make your child feel wanted and important by prioritizing them while openly expressing how much joy they bring into your life. Appreciate them and communicate with them gently to make them feel good about themselves.
Listen To Your Child
The more you listen to what your child has to say, the easier it will be to understand their needs. One of the best ways to be emotionally available to your child is to listen to them instead of always telling them what to do.
Allow room for their mistakes and do not react harshly. Appreciate and consider their opinions to make them feel valued. When you listen more and react less, your child feels comfortable sharing their feelings with you. You must listen to their needs and avoid turning a blind eye to them.
Validate Emotions
To cater to your child’s needs, you must understand how they feel under certain circumstances and situations. Teach your kids to stay comfortable when dealing with emotions.
Being impulsive and giving immediate reaction when your kids show different emotions can embed shame or fear in them; this way, a child starts to bottle up their feelings which is harmful to their mental health and well-being. The best way is to validate their emotions, teach them how to overcome their feelings, and be emotionally available to them.
Maintain Discipline And Address Your Emotions
It is equally important to channel your emotional needs in front of your child while maintaining discipline. Anger plays a vital role in showing children how you deal with their feelings.
An appropriate way when you are angry is to maintain discipline and stay calm. Let the child know by politely conveying that you are angry and give you a few minutes to calm down before you can talk to them. It will show them how they can convey their emotions in a disciplined manner, so you are emotionally available for them in social situations.
Spend More Time Together
The easiest way to understand your child’s emotional needs is to connect with them and spend more time together. Observe them and see how they react in difficult situations, provide a safe space for them to feel comfortable sharing and communicating with you. Hug them if they are upset to give a sense of affirmation that you are emotionally available for them whenever they need you; this helps build trust between you and your child.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17.4% of children in the United States are diagnosed with mental health disorders. It is essential to prioritize your child’s needs and provide emotional safety to develop a close and healthy relationship with them. If you want to adopt healthy parenting styles, the tips mentioned above will help you be emotionally available to your child.