Getting kids to express their feelings

Watch Video: Getting kids to express their feelings by Douglas Green, MFT, ...
Getting kids to express their feelings | Kids in the House
KidsInTheHouse the Ultimate Parenting Resource
Kids in the House Tour

Getting kids to express their feelings

Comment
52
Unlike
52
Transcription: 
How can you get your kid to express their feelings? All kids are born fully able to express their feelings. So if a child isn't expressing their feeling, there's something that's off. They might be scared or feel something is inappropriate and in order to get them to change that I find there are really two things to do. One of them is to encourage them to express their feelings more. Now, if you ask them to do it, that probably won't work. But what you can do is talk about feelings that they do feel comfortable expressing. It's a nice day. I love that TV show. Ow, that hurt when I fell down. You do those and slowly you encourage them to be saying more, the more dangerous feelings like, that kid scares me or, mommy, I don't like it when you're angry. The other method is to do it through play. You can take those feelings that the kids can't talk about like the bully at school but if you have them play with little toys that beat up a bigger toy and overpower it, they suddenly feel better and you've actually accomplished the same thing. So what I recommend is doing both of these together. Encourage as much expression of feelings as the child is comfortable doing and at the same time encourage the expression of feelings nonverabally through play. And I think if you do both of those together, it will work out.

Watch Video: Getting kids to express their feelings by Douglas Green, MFT, ...

Transcript

Expert Bio

More from Expert

Douglas Green, MFT

Child Therapist

Douglas Green left a successful career as a writer and director of film, stage and television to become a Psychotherapist, specializing in helping children and teenagers live lives they can be proud of.  He has a degree in Drama Therapy, and uses creative active techniques often in his work.  He has extensive experience in working with numerous childhood issues, such as ADHD, autism, Asperger's, depression, anxiety, and recovery from physical, sexual, and emotional Abuse.  He works at two offices, one in Woodland Hills, CA and one in West Los Angeles, CA, and is an Adjunct Professor at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

More Parenting Videos from Douglas Green, MFT >
Enter your email to
download & subscribe
to our newsletter