Last thoughts about feelings and emotions
In addition to creating a feeling-friendly environment and having open discussions with your children, regular exercise and creative activities can provide outlets for emotions.
Avoid using food and other treats to make your children’s feelings go away. Not only does this not work in the long run, but it also can set up unhealthy patterns of responding to feelings. Do not try to buy the children’s loyalty out of your own insecurity.
Don’t be afraid to ask for professional help, particularly if you or one of your children is feeling depressed, out of control, or extremely anxious. Other signs that help is needed include difficulty managing anger and any suspicion of suicide.
Post the help hotline phone numbers prominently near all of your phones and point them out to your children. Make sure your children and teens understand that these numbers are available any time they want to talk to someone. It doesn’t need to be an emergency.
BC Helpline for Children 310-1234 (no area code needed)
Canada Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868
If you are interested in learning more about dealing with feelings and emotions, there is a lot of useful information on the Internet. Here are some phrases you could type into your favourite search engine:
- dealing with feelings
- children and feelings
- problem solving
- communicating with children
- communicating with teens
- divorce and feelings
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