Emotions show us and the world what’s happening to us and what has affected us. Sometimes, they’re signposts that lead us in a subjectively better direction. Therefore, take a look at your emotions and think about what they indicate and where they really came from.
Cause and effect
Doesn’t the sadness of a child missing their grandparents or friends show that they need to be with them? Is our overwhelming anxiety related to the completely understandable sense of uncertainty of tomorrow? What caused these feelings in us? Forced isolation, critical commentary by the superior and information about the upcoming crisis? The reasons may be different, but emotions indicate that there has to be a source for them to come from. So let your emotions speak and treat them as valuable information about yourself and others. Start with something that many of us are facing right now, such as longing and sadness.
How do we experience longing?
At the moment, you probably feel the longing for someone or something. The children must do too. How do we talk to them about it? Let’s allow ourselves to feel emotions: they come, they require being experienced and then, heard out, they make room for others. This is also a moment for you to talk with your children about what is important to you on a daily basis. Who do you miss and why?
You can draw pictures on small sheets of paper showing who or what you miss. Then collect the works of the household members and stick them to a large sheet of cardboard or tape them together. Now you have a “Who and what we miss” poster, that shows what matters to you and who matters to you.
Sadness is like rain
When sadness appears, take a moment to be together, you can draw inspiration from the “Sadness like rain” game. When telling a story about sadness, use different hand movements and ways of touching. This will raise your oxytocin levels right away. Sit down so that you can touch the back of the other person. Ready? Get started!