Expressing difficult emotions to your children

​​​​Useful tips for parents​

If your children see you are struggling with a difficult emotion, show them that you are coping in a healthy way as much as possible. Try to:

1. Label your emotion for them (“I’m feeling sad right now.”)
2. Let them know that it’s OK to feel this way sometimes (“I’m OK. It’s normal for us to feel sad sometimes.”)
3. Talk to them about how you’ll cope with your difficult emotions (“We will go to the park and run around together and it will make me feel good again.”)

By expressing your feelings to them, you also encourage kids to share their real feelings with you.

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