Our Health Library information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Please be advised that this information is made available to assist our patients to learn more about their health. Our providers may not see and/or treat all topics found herein. Emotional validation is recognizing someone else's feelings or needs without judgment. You don't have to agree with someone's perspective to validate their emotions. You just have to show the person that you understand how they could feel the way they do. When you validate your child's emotions, you can: Validating your child's emotions can also help your child learn self-compassion. When people have self-compassion, they are more likely to be able to deal with adversity and setbacks in a healthy way. It's important to show your child that you understand how they're feeling and that you're willing to listen. Here are some things you can do to validate your child's emotions. Show your child that you're interested in what they're feeling and why. Here's how: Something that seems small to you might be a very big thing to your child. For example, fitting in with the crowd might seem less important to you now as an adult. But for your child, being seen as "different" or not fitting in may feel like a big problem. Kids can often tell when adults mean what they say, versus when they're just saying the "right words." You may not actually understand why a misplaced sweatshirt deserves a huge meltdown. But you probably do understand the frustration of losing something that's important to you. Focus on that. Telling someone to "stop worrying" or to "relax" when they're upset usually doesn't work very well. Plus, telling your child not to feel a certain way is like saying, "What you're feeling is wrong or not acceptable." It doesn't help your child learn to recognize and deal with difficult emotions. Instead, it teaches them to avoid and suppress those feelings. Try this: Help your child learn to identify and work through feelings and problems on their own. It's easy to want to protect your child from having difficult feelings. But these feelings are a part of life. When you don't try to spare your child from them, you are helping your child learn skills for handling them. Validating your child's feelings doesn't mean you have to give in every time your child wants something. It also doesn't mean allowing your child to behave in inappropriate ways. For example, it's helpful to show understanding for your child's anger at a playground pal. It's not okay to let your child express their anger by pushing the friend or saying mean things. Current as of: October 20, 2022 Author: Healthwise Staff Next Section: Previous Section: Current as of: October 20, 2022 Author: Healthwise Staff Medical Review: Andrew Littlefield PhD - Psychology, Behavioral Health This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Learn how we develop our content. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise.org. © 1995-2023 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.Validating Your Child's Emotions
Overview
Why is it important to validate your child's
emotions?
Validating your child's emotions
Credits
Medical Review:
Andrew Littlefield PhD - Psychology, Behavioral Health
Our Health Library information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Please be advised that this information is made available to assist our patients to learn more about their health. Our providers may not see and/or treat all topics found herein. Current as of: October 20, 2022 Author: Healthwise Staff Medical Review: Andrew Littlefield PhD - Psychology, Behavioral HealthValidating Your Child's Emotions