Unison Parenting Blog: Providing Your Child a Safe Place to Express Emotions

Can you become uncomfortable and allow your child to express their emotions?

You have to adapt to biting your tongue. You must bridle yourself from fixing the problem. Your best practice is to provide a safe space where any emotion can be expressed.

Your child needs to know their parents are safe places where emotions can be freely expressed. From frustration to fear to anger to other emotions, parents can best act as loving parents by being the child's safe room.

Teens in particular don't want their emotions minimalized. While you don’t necessarily have to agree that a minor incident is "the end of the world," it also helps to realize your teen might truly feel that it is.

Keep your recommendations to yourself as they express emotions. While they are emotional is not the time to tell them they were wrong. Wait to correct those things you see that they did wrong.

In fact, let them work things out for themselves, possibly with your help. I recall a time when my daughter was upset over a school club situation and was trying to decide what to do next. We role-played a scenario, which helped immensely when she went back into the situation the next day.

If the child's emotions veer into outrage or extreme disrespect, then send them into a cooling-off period. You can retain boundaries even when their emotions get the best of them.

I know I seem to end every post with "get on the same page as parents." But hopefully, you can see how important it is during fragile emotional discussions. Now, you and your parenting partner(s) don't need to have the same skill set. If one is better at checking emotions, listening, and affirming, then let them handle tough emotional scenarios. However, any parent may find themselves in the seat of creating an emotional safe place; practice verbiage and role-play scenarios as parents so every one of you is prepared.

Give your child the gift of safely expressing their feelings. You'll help them while also drawing closer and creating trust.