Teaching body language to children

Published: 11 Nov 2022 Tagged: body languagechildrenemotionsfacial expressionfeelingsgesturenonverbalnonverbal expressionnonverbal languagesocial cuessocial skillstone of voice

When expressing their feelings, people employ more than just words. Children, however, don't always recognise that. There are things you can do to assist your child if they are having problems recognising social cues or body language in general:

• Link movement with message: Demonstrate to your youngster how varied body gestures may indicate a distinct and precise feeling. Put your hands on your hips while tapping your fingers and shrugging your shoulders. Describe the underlying meaning of each movement.
• Give specific examples: By seeing how people interact in real life and on television, you can bring the idea of body language to life. (You can even turn off the sound if you and a friend are viewing TV together.) Help your youngster recognise cues that reveal each person's emotional state. Inquire about the hints that suggested the person felt that way. Your youngster will have a verbal anchor to help them recall the visual signal if you use phrases like "The man's face was crimson" or "The girl's hands were clinched."
• Play charades using body language: Children can better understand the relationship between the two when emotions are expressed through body language. Make it into a family game and ask everyone to participate. Create index cards with various emotions on them (one per card). These include emotions like joy, sorrow, rage, fatigue, and so on. Draw a card and act out the emotion as you go, while the rest of the group attempts to identify what it is as you go.
• Avoid being overly literal: Teachers who have "had enough" may cross their arms. Or perhaps they're just not that warm. A student who is disinterested in the talk could be clasping his hands behind his neck. He may also be stretching. Tell your child that gestures and body language alone don't always express the full story. To fully understand what is being said, your child must take into account both the words and the tone of voice.

You may help your child with social skills in a variety of ways. You may view a video that explains how TV watching can teach your child social skills. Additionally, look at advice on teaching your child to read facial expressions, comprehend personal space, and detect subtle voice-tone changes. In case you detect these strategies are not enough to help your child understand body language, feel free to contact us for professional support!