Childhood Depression and Children's Emotions

Childhood depression can be hard to identify especially in shy, quiet children because children don’t really understand their emotions.  Another complication is that some people think children don’t experience all the same emotions that adults have. 

Just because a child can’t identify and express their emotions doesn’t mean they don’t have them.  A child’s emotional world is vivid and colorful; full of love, joy, hope, happiness and excitement but also sadness, anger, fear, jealousy, guilt and shame. 

 

Children feel these emotions but may not understand them.  They often can’t pinpoint and say this is how I feel.  Children need a parent, counselor or a psychology minded teacher to help them understand emotions.  A parent and others can help children learn and name their emotions and the emotions of others. 

There are posters and books that can help children with their emotions.  There is a ‘Today I Feel’ poster, a ‘How are You Feeling Today’ poster, a ‘Dealing with Feelings’ poster, a ‘Laminated Blue Feelings’ poster and an ‘Emotions Chart’ poster.  It’s important for parents and teachers to look at different poster so they can find the one that they think will help their children the best. 

An adult can pick out an emotion on the poster and describe that emotion, telling the child things like if they feel this emotion they may not want to play or run around or they may not want to eat or sleep.  Adults can also tell children about the physical feelings associated with that emotion like a hot face or upset tummy.  Then the adult can give age appropriate examples of situations that can make a child feel that way. 

There are also books that help children learn, understand and Identify emotions like; ‘In My Heart: A Book of Feelings’ for 2-4 year olds, ‘Don’t Let The Pidgeon Drive The Bus’ for 2-6 year olds, ‘Glad Monster, Sad Monster’ for 3-6 year olds, ‘What Are You Feeling Dragon?’ for 3-6 year olds, ‘Inside Out Box of Mixed Emotions’ for 3-5 year olds, ‘When I Feel Sad (Way I Feel Books)’ up to 8 years old, ‘What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety’ 6-12 year olds, ‘The Emotions Survival Guide/ Inside Out’ for 8-12 year olds and ‘Understanding Myself: A Kid’s Guide to Intense Emotions and Strong Feelings’ for ages 8 and up.  These books are just some examples.  Again; it’s important for parents and teachers to look at different books so they can find the ones they think will help their children the best. 

It’ is important for parents and teachers to understand that each child feels emotions at different intensities.  Some children feel positive emotions more deeply, some feel negative emotions more deeply and some feel all emotions very deeply.

It’s important that children understand their emotions but it’s also important that children understand others feel emotions too.  Nurturing empathy is a very important part of being a parent or teacher.  It’s not hard to do. 

Whenever your child does something to hurt someone or sees someone hurt just ask them how they would feel if someone did that to them or if they were in that situation.  It’s also a good idea to do the same when the child does something positive to a child or sees something positive happen to a child.  That way they can learn to take joy in others happiness as well as understand someone’s pain and sadness.

Just remember children aren’t little adults.  Their emotions are confusing and overwhelming for them sometimes.  They need our help and guidance to learn to deal with and understand their emotions so they can become the people we know they can be.