1.7 Explain and demonstrate how to enable parents to assist children to recognise their feelings

This guide will help you answer 1.7 Explain and demonstrate how to enable parents to assist children to recognise their feelings.

This guide focuses on helping parents assist their children to recognise their feelings. This means guiding parents in practical ways so they can support their child’s emotional awareness at home and in everyday situations. The aim is to develop children’s ability to identify their emotions, give them the vocabulary to talk about feelings, and help them to manage those feelings in a healthy manner.

Parents are a child’s primary role models. Children often copy how parents react to situations. If parents talk about feelings openly and show healthy ways to express them, children learn from that example. As a worker, you need to help parents build the skills and confidence to do this.

Recognising feelings supports emotional well-being and social development. It also helps children form positive relationships and cope with challenges more effectively.

Why Helping Children Recognise Feelings is Important

A child who can recognise and name their feelings can begin to manage them. This lowers frustration and reduces behavioural issues linked to not understanding emotions.

Children benefit in the following ways when parents help them with feelings:

• They develop emotional vocabulary, such as “happy”, “sad”, “angry”, “scared”
• They learn that feelings change and are natural
• They build confidence in expressing how they feel
• They are able to ask for help when they have strong emotions

Parents also benefit from a stronger connection with their child. Communication improves when a child feels listened to and understood.

Role of the Worker in Supporting Parents

As a worker, your role includes explaining simple strategies to parents and showing them how to use these with their child. You might use role play, visual tools, and modelling to demonstrate techniques. It is important to listen to parents’ experiences and take into account their child’s age, stage of development and personality.

You can:

• Offer practical examples parents can use at home
• Share resources such as picture books about feelings
• Help them create routines that include time for emotional check-ins
• Encourage parents to share their own feelings in a calm way

Explaining Feelings to Parents

Some parents may not feel confident talking about emotions with their children. You should explain that feelings are neither good nor bad—they just are. It is the way we act on feelings that can cause problems or help us feel better.

When you explain feelings, use plain words and examples. For instance, you might say:

• “When a child hides under the table, they might be feeling scared”
• “When they jump around laughing, they might be feeling excited”

Link these examples to real situations in the child’s daily life. This helps parents connect information to behaviour they already see.

Demonstrating Strategies for Parents

Demonstrating is as important as explaining. Parents are more likely to understand and use a skill if they see it in action.

Some demonstration ideas:

• Using emotion cards: Show parents how to use cards with pictures of faces showing different emotions. Sit with the child, point to the face, and name the feeling. Then relate it to something the child has experienced.
• Modelling calm expression: Act out a situation with a parent where you pretend to feel frustrated but use a calm voice to say “I feel upset because the tower fell down”.
• Story sharing: Read a short story with emotions in it and stop to ask the child how a character might feel.

Repeat demonstrations and encourage the parent to practise while you watch. Give positive feedback and suggest small changes if needed.

Using Everyday Moments

Parents do not need special times set aside to talk about feelings. Everyday moments are perfect. You can teach parents to watch for emotion cues and talk about them right away.

Examples of everyday emotional learning moments:

• When a pet runs up to greet the child, talk about feeling happy and loved
• When it rains and a playdate is cancelled, say “I can see you are disappointed”
• Before bedtime, ask “How are you feeling right now?”

Encouraging parents to make this part of daily routine builds consistency.

Encouraging Emotional Vocabulary

Language is key to recognising and talking about feelings. Some children may only use basic words like “good” or “bad”. You can show parents ways to expand their child’s emotional vocabulary.

Ideas:

• Use picture books with different emotions named in simple words
• Play “feelings charades” where you act out emotions and child guesses the word
• Keep a “feelings chart” on the fridge with faces and words for each emotion
• Use consistent words for emotions every time they appear

Explain to parents that repeated exposure helps children remember and use new words.

Helping Parents Respond to Feelings

It is not enough for children to recognise feelings—they need to know how to respond appropriately. You can guide parents to offer ideas on coping.

Key points to explain:

• Acknowledge the emotion first. Say “I can see you are upset” before offering solutions.
• Suggest actions to manage the feeling, such as deep breaths, counting to ten, or drawing.
• Talk privately about feelings rather than criticising in front of others.
• Praise the child for expressing feelings in words rather than through negative behaviour.

Model these approaches in your sessions with parents.

Using Visual Aids

Visual aids make feelings simpler for children to recognise. Teach parents how to use them at home.

Popular visual tools:

• Feelings wheels showing faces and names for emotions
• Daily feelings charts where children place a peg or sticker on the emotion they are feeling
• Storyboards that link an event to an emotion and show a coping step

Show parents how to keep these tools in accessible places so children can use them freely.

Including Cultural Awareness

Feelings are universal, but their expression may vary depending on family culture. Some parents may have grown up in environments where discussing emotions was rare. Talk with parents about how cultural habits affect emotional expression, and show them ways to adapt the strategies so they suit their family values.

Listen without judgement, and focus on supporting the parent to meet the child’s needs while respecting their background.

Practising Active Listening

Demonstrating active listening to a parent is powerful. Show them how maintaining eye contact, nodding, and using short prompts helps children feel heard.

Steps you can model:

• Stop the activity and give full attention when the child is speaking
• Reflect back what the child says using their words
• Avoid dismissing feelings like “don’t cry” or “cheer up”
• Validate feelings by saying “It’s okay to feel that way”

Encourage parents to use these steps consistently.

Working with Different Ages

Children at different ages recognise feelings in different ways. Explain this to parents so they know what to expect.

For younger children:

• Use simple words and strong visual aids
• Focus on naming basic emotions like happy, sad, angry, scared
• Use short stories and songs about feelings

For older children:

• Introduce more complex emotions like jealousy, pride, guilt
• Encourage linking emotions to events and consequences
• Discuss healthy coping actions and problem-solving

Adjust your demonstrations according to the child’s age and understanding level.

Building Trust with Parents

Parents are more open to new ideas if they feel respected and supported. Build trust by:

• Listening to their concerns without interruption
• Sharing successful examples from other families (keeping details anonymous)
• Offering small, achievable steps rather than large changes
• Being patient and recognising progress over time

Show parents that you value their role and expertise about their own child.

Monitoring Progress

Explain to parents that recognising feelings develops over time. Help them notice signs of progress, such as:

• Child using more emotion words
• Child talking about feelings without being prompted
• Reduction in emotional outbursts
• Greater ability to calm down after feeling upset

Encourage parents to keep simple records or diaries of positive steps. Praise them when you see improvements.

Final Thoughts

Helping parents assist children to recognise their feelings is about practical, everyday strategies. It starts with parents being willing to notice emotions, name them, and respond calmly. Children learn most from seeing this modelled in real life moments.

As a worker, you can make a big difference by showing parents that emotional awareness is something that grows through shared time, open talk, and consistent actions. Supporting this skill helps children feel secure, understand themselves better, and build stronger relationships. It also strengthens the bond between parent and child, which provides a firm foundation for healthy development.