“Hey, common! Boys don’t cry!” “Be a man. Stop behaving like a girl.” “Don’t you know girls don’t play football?” “Could you please dress up like a girl?” We are pretty sure all of you must have come across such statements. After all, they are so common! There are some prejudiced standard rules that girls and boys are expected to follow, be it in their actions or their feelings. But is it really okay to divide and label the feelings as those for boys and girls? No, strictly no!
At Yuvashakti Model School, one among the leading schools in Rohini, Sector 3, we believe that feelings and emotions are like the essence of life. And as such, there are no right or wrong and appropriate or inappropriate feelings. In fact, feelings and emotions are beyond the boundaries of age or gender. Therefore telling young boys not to cry like girls or asking young girls not to behave like boys is completely wrong according to us. Instead, children should be made to believe that all feelings are normal and acceptable and that the way they feel neither makes them any different from others nor weak in any sense.
Why is there a need to normalize the emotions?
When kids are repeatedly asked to hold back and suppress their emotions, they grow up thinking that a certain set of emotions isn’t meant for them. This thinking hinders their emotional and psychological growth as well. These children shut their individual selves within and start associating emotions like sadness and fear with something that’s associated with shame and guilt. Such kids grow up with lots of anger and aggression issues and often fell victim to even more severe health problems like depression and anxiety.
On the other hand, we, at Yuvashakti Model School, have seen that when parents remain supportive of their kids’ feelings and help them realize that it’s okay to feel the way they do, children grow up with an open mindset and a strong sense of self-esteem. These children remain comparatively happier and are more successful in whatever they do.
How to make children realize that all emotions are normal?
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Equip your children with emotional vocab
Children should know how to recognize and name their feelings and should also be able to differentiate between their various emotions. Hence, help your child identify each of his/her feelings by name, and also make the kid understand that every human being experiences these feelings. This will help to equip them with the right set of vocabulary to express what and how they are feeling at any moment and that all these motions are a part of normal human behavior.
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Have open discussions with your child
Remain open to discussing the emotions with your child, whether good or bad. Also, be appreciative whenever your child talks about his/her emotions. This will help the kids internalize the idea that all emotions are normal and that their emotions don’t make them look any different from others. This way, instead of suppressing their emotions, they will feel more comfortable to openly talk about their feelings without being judged about the same.
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Let them express their emotions creatively
At Yuvashakti Model School, one of the most reputed schools in Rohini, Sector 3, we believe that it isn’t necessary for the kids to always be vocal about their feelings. They can also express it out through creative ways like painting, dancing, singing, etc. Encourage your child to partake in creative activities based on his/her interest and talk to the child about how he/she felt about it.
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Be a role model to your child
Merely telling the kids to take up all emotions normally but acting out in an opposite manner is never going to help. You have to follow what you preach. After all, you are the real-life role model for your kids, and they will follow you no matter what. Hence, when you tell them that all emotions are normal and that they need not suppress their feelings, you should yourself follow the same. Let your kids see that you not only openly talk about your own emotions but are equally empathetic towards other feelings as well.
There’s no denying that emotions have got a very important place in the holistic development of children. Only when the young minds remain receptive towards all their emotions can they grow healthily in the true sense of the term. So let us be a little more supportive towards them and their emotions, and t can actually bring a sea change in their behavior and attitude towards life.
