Every child encounters challenges and problems at different stages of growing up, which can be painful and anxiety-inducing. It’s essential for parents and loved ones to be there, guiding the child when they need help and understanding. Let’s explore how parents can support their child during difficult times.
Understanding the Child’s Feelings
Children are not always able to accurately describe their emotions and sometimes don’t understand what is happening to them. Therefore, it’s crucial for adults to be observant and notice changes in a child’s behavior that may indicate they are facing a problem.
Questions and Support
Pay attention to signs such as withdrawal, aggressive behavior, loss of interest in favorite activities, or sudden mood swings. If you notice any of these, try talking to the child to find out what’s bothering them. Instead of asking direct questions like, “Why are you acting strange?” try using gentle phrases that encourage the child to open up, such as, “I’ve noticed you seem sad lately. Would you like to talk about what’s worrying you?”
Support the child in their feelings, even if they seem insignificant or unfounded to you. For the child, their problems are very important, and they need to feel understood. By listening to the child and showing empathy, you help them cope with anxieties and give them confidence that there are adults around ready to support and help.
Finding Solutions Together with the Child
When helping a child cope with difficulties, it’s important not just to solve problems for them but to teach them how to find solutions on their own. This helps develop self-regulation skills and self-confidence.
Independent Solutions
Depending on the child’s age and personality, encourage them to think about possible solutions. For example, if the child is struggling with relationships with classmates, ask questions that help them understand the situation: “Why do you think it’s hard for you to get along with others?” or “What would you like to change in these relationships?” This encourages reflection, and they may come up with steps to improve the situation on their own.
Avoid putting pressure on the child or trying to control their decisions. It’s important that they come to realize their own capabilities and begin forming their own strategies.
Developing Emotional Management Skills
Children, especially young ones, often don’t know how to deal with anger, frustration, jealousy, and other complex feelings. Instead of suppressing or ignoring these emotions, help the child understand what they are feeling and give them tools for self-regulation.
Self-Regulation Skills
Discuss various ways to express emotions without harming themselves or others. If a child is frequently angry, teach them to take deep breaths or find a calm space to cool down. Explain that everyone experiences different emotions and that it’s normal. Gradually, the child will learn to control their feelings without suppressing them and realize that they have the strength to handle emotions on their own.
Supporting Successes and Failures
A child learns not only from successes but also from failures. Helping a child cope with difficulties means supporting them in moments of both success and failure.
Encouraging Efforts
Explain that mistakes are part of the learning process and that every failure provides an opportunity to improve. This helps the child develop a positive attitude toward challenges and motivates them to try again despite setbacks.
Praise the child for their efforts rather than just results. Instead of saying, “You should have done better,” try saying, “You tried, and that’s what matters. I’m proud that you didn’t give up.” This helps the child understand that value lies not only in the outcome but in the process itself, and they will start to see failures not as defeats but as opportunities for growth and learning.
Creating a Safe and Trusting Environment
For a child, it’s crucial to feel safe and know that their family will always understand and support them. Create an atmosphere at home where the child isn’t afraid to share their concerns, knowing they won’t be judged or criticized. Spend more time with the child, talk to them about their feelings, and listen without interruptions.
By fostering psychological comfort, parents help the child develop the ability to cope with difficulties and go through them without fear or self-doubt. Trusting relationships make it easier for a child to overcome challenges, becoming more confident and resilient with every step.