How to help your child deal with emotional problems at a young age

Representational picture of a young family

There is a reason why the smile of any child can instantly send a warm vibe to you. The purity of emotions are things that we all experience in the twinkle of a toddler. But every child is special in his or her own way and form. Some children express better than others and that's the way they're made. Emotions come naturally to us all. How you feel about certain happenings designs the way you are and builds your fundamentals. But that's the thing with some kids, right? They deal with emotions in their own way.

Children dealing with emotional problems

We all love our school life, isn't it? If you ever get a chance to grab an old picture of yours from the school album, you might most definitely remember that one person from your class who had difficulty in expressing themselves correctly. When I say correctly, I mean we all have emotional outbursts. The one where we completely lose ourselves and act in the most unpredictable fashion. But I'm talking about the kids that seem in total discord with their emotions. That could be due to problems at home, prenatal distress or some sort of disconnect with their emotions. They are the ones to run around the class, scream and disturb the others, laugh uncontrollably or get angry at the drop of a hat - that's the disconnect we are talking about. But not just these, they could be bottled up too- very reclusive and immensely quiet.

The National Institute of Mental Health (USA) defines childhood trauma as, "The experience of an event by a child that is emotionally painful or distressful, which often results in lasting mental and physical effects." With times passing by, we have heard of a lot of stories of sexual trauma stories and violence that these kids are exposed to. Whether it is the media to blame or the behaviour of the adults at home, it is difficult for these kids to move on. Not just that peer pressure and performance pressure can really put your child at a fix. That's why we must find ways to handle emotions better.

What are the ways to deal with it better?

Meditation: MEDITATE. Straight up, meditation is an art of letting go. Everything that you may have felt at some point in life must be given closure. If I have to state it simply, there are various episodes from our past that may leave a distaste in us but that needs to go away, so that is something that meditation can help you with. Not only that, meditation will let you accept your past gracefully, thereby, settling your mind and body in the present time.

Kids yoga: As kids, you are very flexible as well as open-minded. One of the things you are very vulnerable to, as a child is- energy. When you practice yoga, you tend to give up on the rigidness of thoughts as well as you tend to open up better. Moreover, when you practice yoga in a group, the good vibes pour in.

Mindfulness: Mindfulness is the art of being aware. Get more aware of yourself and the things that take place within you. Can you feel the heaviness in your chest, a faint headache or a pit in your stomach? All you need to do is just acknowledge the pain and get more aware of it. Living in denial isn't the best thing to do even as a child. Practising mindfulness as a child will help you in going a long way.

-By Pinky Daga, CEO, Thriive Art & Soul

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