Understanding and Dealing With Sadness in Children

Sadness in children is an essential part of learning. It is one of life’s great teachers. Therefore, it is necessary to give it the importance it deserves, since this is the only way to learn from these experiences.

Emotions are present in the lives of all people. It is necessary to experience all emotions in order to develop a strong yet sensitive personality.

Sadness in children: learning and sensitivity

For both adults and children, all emotions are important. However, sadness is one of the strongest, so it is good to give it the attention it deserves. Sadness in children can become a valuable learning tool in many ways.

Sadness is the biggest indication that something is failing. It is a sign that your child isn’t feeling well. Many times, that sadness can come from a physical ailment or from an emotional pain. Sadness is a great teacher that transmits values and fundamental teachings that will serve your child throughout his or her life.

Discovering emotions

It is very common for children to experience problems detecting and understanding their own feelings, as well as those of others. It is natural for this to happen because they are in a stage of self-discovery.

They are also exploring the world around them at this time. It is therefore important to teach them to understand the feelings they begin to experience from a very early age.

In the case of sadness, it is essential that children know how to recognize what they are feeling. They need to know that it is okay to feel sad from time to time. They also need to know that it is a passing feeling from which something positive can be extracted.

When children begin to get to know themselves and their environment, they will handle this emotion in a much more efficient way.

How to deal with sadness in children

Although all parents want to see their children happy at all times, it is also true that sadness is part of the lives of all people, from birth to death. The important thing in this case is knowing how to deal with this feeling.

1. Detecting the feeling

Sadness in children is one of the most important feelings to be detected. Parents should try to identify what is troubling their children. Among other things, this is because it is the only way to help them and guide them back to happiness.

2. Communicating with your child

Communication is fundamental in all relationships and at all times. Ideally, parents should talk with their children once they have detected a problem. It is essential to help children understand that being sad is not bad at all. However, it is a passing feeling for which a solution must be sought.

3. Searching for a solution

Every problem has a solution. Under this premise, parents should guide their children back to a state of serenity, where happiness is at the forefront. What saddens the child? Once a cause has been detected, it will be possible to find an adequate solution.

4. Understanding

Something can be learned from each experience and situation. However, for that to happen it is necessary for children to understand what they experienced when they felt sad. Discovering themselves and their environment is essential for better management of their emotions. 

How to detect depression

There is nothing wrong with a feeling of passing sadness. However, parents should be aware of much more alarming signals. A passing feeling of sadness can be dealt with without much difficulty, but depression is a more complex issue. Depression requires the attention of specialists, especially when a child experiences it.

Sometimes it can be difficult to differentiate sadness from depression. Despite this, there are clear signs of alarm that every parent must take into account. Some of the most common are: intensity, duration and frequency. If a feeling of sadness becomes continuous, very intense and frequent, it is advisable to visit a specialist. 

Sadness in children is as natural as happiness and rejoicing. Even though it is a feeling that we often want to avoid, it is important to face it when it appears.