Blog post
3 Simple, Practical Ways to Help Kids Share Their Feelings
Talking about feelings isn’t always easy. We might say we’re fine when we’re not, or keep things bottled up because sharing doesn’t feel all that comfortable or natural.
This often happens because many of us didn’t get much practise talking about our feelings as kids. Back then, we might have expressed ourselves through tantrums, crying or long silences, simply because we hadn’t yet learnt the words to explain how we were feeling.
That’s why it’s so important to teach kids how to notice, name and share their feelings early. Kids feel the same emotions we do, but don’t always have the vocabulary to express them. By teaching them how to put their feelings into words, we give them tools they can use for life, to help better regulate their emotions, understand what’s happening inside, handle tough moments with more ease and connect deeply with others.
3 ways to help kids open up
Getting kids to open up doesn’t have to involve a formal conversation or be complicated! The best talks can happen in the middle of everyday life, during meals, when you’re walking together or when winding down before bed. Here are 3 ways to help kids comfortably share their feelings:
1. Name the feeling out loud
Start small by pointing out what you see, and helping your child notice what they’re feeling:
- ‘That’s a big smile! Are you feeling excited about your hangout?’
- ‘You look a bit quiet. Are you feeling tired?’
Small, natural interactions like these help kids connect what they feel inside to what’s happening outside.
2. Ask open-ended questions
Ask questions that invite a conversation instead of a yes or no. For example:
- ‘How was your day?’
- ‘What was the best part of your day?’
- ‘Did anything interesting happen at school today?’
- ‘Is there anything from today that you want to talk about?’
The idea is to make it feel like a casual chat and give them space to share any emotion. It’s good to regularly check in with your kids to help them build the habit of opening up.
3. Connect feelings to events or activities
Kids understand emotions better when they tie them to real life events. You could ask:
- ‘You looked focused when building the tower. Did you enjoy it?’
- ‘The game seemed a bit tough. How did you feel about it?’
Creating an open environment at home
Kids learn better by watching than being told! As a parent, you can model the same openness. When you talk about your feelings in healthy ways, whether it’s stress, excitement or frustration, you show them that all emotions are natural and that big feelings can be handled with care.
Summary
When kids grow up learning that emotions are okay to talk about, process and work through, they’re better able to handle the ups, downs and everything in between.