Sometimes kids tell you what they need directly while other times you need to put some effort into understanding what’s going on. A young child, for example, may not have the language they need to articulate what they’re feeling, but a teen may be evasive because they’re anxious about confiding something personal. It’s not possible for you to foresee every tricky scenario that your kid will bring to you or even know exactly how to respond in that moment.
It is your job to listen to your child, to make space for them to tell you what they’re feeling and to reach out for more help when necessary. For guidance, we asked a number of mental health professionals what phrases kids say that you should never ignore. Here’s what they had to say.
Statements About Their Identity Your child may want to disclose something to you about who they are. Dr. Michelle Forcier, a clinician at Folx Health , an LGBTQ+ health care provider, told HuffPost that kids may say something like: I want to talk to you.
I have something important to share. Do you have time to ..
. Would you love me no matter what? I think I might be ____ (gay, bi, pan, trans, nonbinary, etc.) In these cases, listen attentively to your child, thank them for sharing this with you and reaffirm your love for them.
If they approach you at a moment when you can’t talk, make sure your child knows that what they have to say is important to you. “Even when you are busy, look them in the eye and say, ‘I hear you and wan.