How To Console A Child When Things Go Wrong


All parents will eventually have to deal with an upset child. It’s inevitable. Life won’t always go their way, particularly as they get to grips with the reality of the world. 

Unfortunately, parents don’t always know exactly what to do to comfort a child. It’s difficult to figure out what to say. 

Fortunately, this post is here to help. We take a look at some best practices for comforting upset children and helping them with their lives. 

Get Them To Name The Emotion

When children get upset, they feel an overwhelming sense of emotion. Unfortunately, they don’t always know what they are feeling intellectual, which causes even more confusion. 

Therefore, parents can help by asking their children how they feel. For instance, if a child feels hurt, parents can identify the emotion as sadness or shame. 

Some parents use feeling cards. These are just cards with pictures of emotions and words associated with them. These make it easier for children to work out how they feel. 

Give Them A Hug

Simply giving your child a hug can also make a tremendous difference in how they feel. Hugging releases happy hormones into the body which can take the edge off a negative experience. 

Remind Your Child You Love Them

You can also remember to tell them that you love them, no matter how bad life might seem for them at the time. Reminding them that they are emotionally safe helps them to feel more secure overall. 

Get Down To Their Level

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Most parents tower over their children and seem enormous and otherworldly. Therefore, always get down to your child’s level whenever they need comfort when things go wrong. It helps with empathy and makes them feel more love and connection with you. It also shows them you care. 

Find A Solution

Another approach is to find a solution. If something is bugging your child, then change their routine or find a new opportunity. Often, parents can do a lot to prevent the damaging situation from occurring in the first place. Going to a child injury lawyer is something that many parents do when their child is a victim of someone else’s negligence. It can be a good way to get additional support you couldn’t afford otherwise. 

Use The Right Phrases

Parents can sometimes say the wrong thing when their child is upset and make the problem worse. Therefore, you’ll want to respond with phrases children find helpful. 

The best response is to remind the child you’re there for them physically and verbally. You can also get them to tell you what’s happening on the inside. The more you can learn how they are feeling, the better you can respond. 

Be Responsive

Lastly, be responsive to children during times of need. Research shows it may assist with brain development and help them regulate stress better. Developing brains need support to feel good about the world, even when life surprises them in ways they don’t like. The more you can help them adjust their expectations, the happier their lives will be. 

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