Parents should take the time to teach their children how to understand their emotions. Doing so has a positive impact to kids as it can reduce behavioral problems later on, according to a study.
The study, led by a Michigan State University researcher, learned that it does good to toddlers especially those with more behavioral problems and those from the most disadvantaged family if their mothers teach them about emotions, Science Daily reports.
Holly Brophy-Herb, MSU professor of child development and lead researcher of the study, described their result as promising. "Our findings offer promise for a practical, cost-effective parenting strategy to support at-risk toddlers' social and emotional development and reduce behavioral problems," said Brophy-Herb.
The study involves 89 toddlers ages 18 months to two years old from low-income families enrolled in early head start programs. The mother and child were shown a picture book without any text that illustrates emotional undertones of a girl who lost and found a pet.
They focused on the mothers' emotional bridging with their children, which involves labeling the emotion and putting it into context. For instance, when the mother explained that the girl is sad after losing her pet bird, it will help the child more if she applies the concept into her child's life. (For example, she can explain it further to her child by saying: "Remember when you lost your bear and you were sad?")
After seven months, a follow-up checkup was done and researchers found that children with higher-risk have fewer behavioral problems. Brophy-Herb suggested that emotional bridging teaches children to learn about their emotions and slowly learn the simple words to express their emotions instead of acting it out.
Assisting children on understanding emotions should be an ongoing and long-term strategy for parents. Parenting shared a few tips on how to teach toddlers about emotions, which includes putting a name to faces. For example, if someone on TV is smiling, explain to the child that the character is happy and do the same facial expression.
It also encourages parents to label their child's feelings. (For instance, if the child is crying, tell the child: " You must be sad because you're crying.") Most importantly, parents should listen to their kids and encourage them to talk about how they feel because they are still identifying their emotions.
Brophy-Herb said that parents can talk with their kids about emotions anytime and they should practice it. "Over time, these mini-conversations translate into a rich body of experiences for the child," she said.
The study is published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.
