The Pros and Cons of Being Emotional

Has anyone ever told you your child is "emotional," and you didn't take it as a compliment? For some reason, being emotional is considered a bad thing. If a child shows too much emotion, the result could be getting labeled as a "crybaby" or a "whiner" or a "wimp." The child might begin to feel it's necessary to hide emotions to please others. 

I think most of us have at least one child who tends to be more emotional than the rest. And that child can take up a lot of parenting energy (bless his/her heart!). If we aren't careful, we might start to label this child as being "too emotional." Or we may overreact to this child because it can take more self-control when one person's emotions are high. Or maybe even worst of all, we may start to ignore this child altogether, just so we can have some breathing room. But here's the truth about our children (and ourselves) and emotions. They are harmless. They are just vibrations in the body, and they won't hurt anyone. 

Yes, some children are more sensitive to their own feelings and the feelings of others. Is this good? Is it bad? Well, it's neither good nor bad. It just is. It means they might display emotions more openly (and yes, perhaps a bit more dramatically); it means they may have to share a lot of details about a very normal day; it means they may get overwhelmed a bit easier than less emotional children; and it may mean it takes them a bit longer to move on from emotionally-challenged events. But here's the good news. Those same children love deep and hard. They are empathetic to a fault. They are considerate and are often the ones who choose careers that provide them constant opportunities to help others. So while their emotions can often feel loud and exhausting, those same emotions are actually creating beautiful humans. 

So, if you have an extra emotional child or two, look for those benefits that come with the emotion. Help them channel it in positive ways. Be sure to manage your own emotions. And enjoy watching them as they use their extra big hearts in meaningful ways. It might take some practice, but don't worry . . .

You got this!