Do You Know What I Feel?

When it's time before bed, many parents like to have confidential conversations with their children. This is a time to discuss different life situations and find out how your child feels in certain situations. These conversations help establish a closer and more trusting relationship between parents and children, and also help children understand that their feelings are important and that they can be expressed.

In such conversations, you can ask questions of a different nature, ranging from general and abstract to more specific. For example, you might ask how a child feels when he encounters something unpleasant, or how a friend's dishonest behavior makes him feel. You can also discuss specific events that happened during the day and ask how the child felt at that moment.

However, it is important to remember that the conversation must start from an adult and be sincere. The child must feel that his feelings and opinions are important and that the adult is ready to listen to him. Only then will the child be able to open up and express his feelings.

Additionally, it is important to be careful in how we speak to our children. Never tell your child how to or should not feel about a particular event, or that he incorrectly names the feelings he experiences. For example, if your child says that he is going crazy, and you think that he was just scared, you can say: “And when I found myself in such a situation for the first time, I didn’t go crazy, I was just afraid.” This approach will allow you to maintain a trusting and close relationship with your child.

Overall, having intimate conversations before bedtime can be very beneficial for parents and children. They allow children to learn more about each other's feelings and opinions, develop closer relationships, and help children learn to communicate with others and share their feelings.