The Importance of Sharing Your Feelings

So Monday has come around again. I hope that you all found the weekend to be enjoyable and were able to set aside some restful time to carry you through the week. In continuing with my series on Parenting and Communication, I have some ideas to discuss regarding how to better share your feelings with your child and improve your child's communication with you.

If a child does not know how you are feeling, then he cannot reciprocate to create a positive mutual exchange. This type of exchange is necessary to create a deeper understanding between parent and child that enables you to acknowledge and support each other's feelings. The absence of reciprocity can lead to misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and a reluctance to live in touch with emotions.

Communicating feelings effectively means sharing feelings that are both positive and negative. If a parent only communicates positive feelings to a child, then the child will not be able to develop a sensitivity to negative emotions. Conversely, if a parent only speaks about their emotions when they are angry, fearful, or frustrated, the child will not learn how to experience or express their own positive feelings.

Once again, it is the parent who is responsible. Parents who are aware of their feelings and are comfortable with expressing them will open the door to communicating with their children about the emotional state of the child. As the child sees the emotional state of the parent, he will learn that there is nothing to fear in emotions, and that they are a natural part of human relationships. Parents who choke off their own feelings are likely to encourage their children to do the same. Children who respond by not expressing their own emotions lose the opportunity for emotional reciprocity - that is, they lose the opportunity to learn that others care for them and understand their feelings. The sharing of our emotional lives in a manner that is appropriate and balanced and encourages emotional expression and understanding in the family is one of the best things a parent can do for a child.

Next discussion - expressing your needs and teaching your child how to express his.

Have a blessed day.