When talking about the emotional needs of a child, love and affection are the primary things that ring a bell. It is natural that we adore our children and, come what may, you always want them to be protected from misery. However, as a parent, you must know what else do they require? How can you make your children develop self-awareness among themselves and also become emotionally intellectual until they are adults. In simple terms, how can you fulfill the emotional needs of your child?

This information below is classified into three age groups. It will thus make it easy for you to have a much better understanding. Sit back and read!

Children and their Needs

Toddlers (1-3 years)

Toddlers of 1-3 years are growing up and have taken their first step in getting to know about their general surroundings. This phase is an energizing time for physical, intellectual and language growth. Children at this stage can understand much more than you can even think of, and also develop self-awareness during this phase.

Correct, understanding what the toddlers are attempting to express can be troublesome, but that is something that will comfort them. You have to understand them first before you strive to fulfill their needs. You must always keep trying to guess as to what your child is trying to say and try not to interrupt them before they finish the sentence, no matter how long it is. Pictures, books and child gestures are the best options to consider. However, children can only be understood by actively being heard. After all, they are babies, who don’t want to listen to them. Although they yet cannot express their emotions effectively through language, their tantrums, bouts of anger, hitting, biting, and crying are all expressions of emotions. The main emotional at this age is to be heard and understood.

Children (4-11 years)

This is a wide range of growth and development. Coming to youngsters are those whose vital time in their lives is the beginning of the school years. At this point when your children begin school, they figure out how to live far from you and start interacting with their pals. They become independent and are ready to express their opinions and emotions. When family issues occur, it is the children who are left behind. During this phase, it is essential for you as a parent to spend time with your child. Why would they play alone when they can get involved with what their parents are doing? But that isn’t possible, right. Hence, setting aside a few minutes for play can soothe the feeling of your child being left out.

At the same time, the ability to take care of issues individually without interference from you is an incredible path for your child to develop self-confidence and grow on the thinking ability. It may take the youngster 20 minutes to make sense of how to move the step stool to the refrigerator, however, be patient and let them do it. The main emotional need of this age group is to treat your child as an individual and allowing some independence while standing behind them for support and encouragement.

Teenagers (12-18 years)

The teenage years can probably be the most troublesome for youngsters since they seem free and mindful.

Urge your adolescents to be independent by spending from their pocket or by arranging their own lunch box, yet assist and help them when it comes to even scrambling an egg. Teenagers can themselves choose what garments to wear, what music to tune in to and what food to eat. Maybe they can settle for the wrong choices, however, managing them to decide on preferred decisions is better than entirely saying “No” to their arrangements.

CAUTION! Attempting to control each part of a teenager’s life is the initial step to pushing them away.

If you adhere to helping your child more and more independent by using logic and becoming aware of emotions, this, then you will notice that you are taking a step towards fulfilling your child’s emotional needs.

When to consult with a professional

What I shared here include some of the general guidelines parents can apply to an already healthy child to fulfill their child’s emotional needs. I would highly recommend consulting therapists near you if your child expresses any of the following concerns:

• Behavioral issues that are hard to manage can be a sign of distress a child might be experiencing.
• Decline in school performance can also be an indication that your child needs more help.
• Depressed mood, anxiety, or any other psychological distress can also point towards professional help requirement.

Each child differs from the other, and so does their emotional needs. As a parent, you have to take that effort to understand the unspoken or the unsaid of your child to fulfill their requirements. Hope, this blog has made your work easy to some extent. What I shared are just some of the guidelines. Please implement them practically.