Acknowledging your child's feelings The key to helping your child feel understood is to acknowledge his feelings. Follow these steps to get more in tune with your child:
•Label the feeling: For young children, the simpler the better. Use words like mad, happy and scared. For older kids, more specific words help: disappointed, worried and embarrassed. •State the reason for the feeling. Make your best guess. For example: "It looks like you're mad because Mom said you can't have dessert." •Don't judge your child. Your child needs to know that it is OK to express emotion. However, you may need to teach your child how to express his feelings in healthy, non-hurtful ways.
