How do I help my child understand emotions?

Helping children understand their emotions begins with giving them the words to describe what they feel. Many toddlers and young children experience powerful emotions without yet having the vocabulary to explain them. This can lead to confusion, frustration, or emotional outbursts. As a parent, your calm presence and clear words are the first emotional guideposts in your child’s world. Use simple language to name feelings as they arise. Say things like, ‘You look really happy,’ or ‘I can see that made you upset.’ These phrases validate your child’s inner experience and teach them how to label it with confidence.
Incorporate stories, pretend play, and picture books, where characters experience and express different emotions. Discuss what those characters might be feeling and why. Children learn best through repeated, safe exposure, so emotional conversations do not have to be long or complicated. Regularly pointing out feelings, whether in real life or through play, gradually builds emotional literacy.
Equally important is how you handle your own emotions. Children watch everything. When you speak gently during stress, take a deep breath instead of shouting, or apologise after losing patience, you are showing them what emotional regulation looks like. Let them see that feelings are not something to be hidden or punished, but acknowledged, explored, and expressed appropriately. Over time, children who are supported in understanding their emotions grow in empathy, self-awareness, and resilience