Self-expression is very important for the development of a child's identity, self-confidence, and sense of belonging to the world. It opens up their minds and allows them to form thoughts and ideas. Self-expression is the way we all communicate our feelings and emotions, and it is the same for children. However, they are still young to learn to express everything in a positive or the right way. So, understanding and guiding them are crucial.
Kids can express themselves in countless ways and they can choose different ways in different phases of their lives. Self-expression can be through words, writing, artwork, or performing arts like music, dance, theatre, and others. For small children, even play can be a form of self-expression.
Every way becomes a unique tool for children to convey their feelings and thoughts in a natural and comfortable manner. Self-expression is not only about conveying one’s thoughts but also about social interactions. It has been observed that at about 4 to 6 months of age, babies become more social.
There are the stages of emotional development of a child:
Birth to 1 year: Children notice emotions
2 to 3 years: Children express emotions
3 to 5 years: Children manage emotions
4 to 6 years: Children develop empathy
Around 10 years: Children use more complex strategies for emotional self-regulation
Small children express themselves through their behavior, facial expressions, and play. They learn to communicate their emotions in different ways like using their entire bodies, faces, and external materials.
How do children develop emotional understanding?
16 months: Children start to understand how they feel and use facial expressions to show it
2 to 3 years: Children are able to name their feelings like happiness, sadness or being scared
2 to 4 years: Children start to identify similar feelings like then in others
4 to 6 years: Children develop skills like empathy, compassion for others
Let’s take a look at DIFFERENT ways in which young children prefer to emote and express.
Early expressions (Infants)
Crying: A baby's cry is one of the first ways they express themselves.
Facial expressions: Babies begin to use facial expressions to show emotions like anger, joy, fear, and surprise by around 4–6 months.
Later expressions (Toddlers)
Play- Children express themselves through play, including imaginative play, painting, and building with blocks.
Materials- Children can express themselves through exploring materials, such as art materials and others.
Developing expressions (Preschool goers)
Group Activities- Children gets exposed to social environments and starts expressing and understanding feelings
Sensory Play- Children learn to use their sensory organs to understand surroundings and respond to them.
Developing expressions (School goers)
Individual and Group Activities- Children go and interact in bigger social circles and they start expressing and performing as the situation demands. They start expressing themselves verbally or even non-verbally to different cues.
Journaling- Children who love writing tend to find journaling or diary keeping as a tool for self-expression.
It is important to understand that every child might have his/her unique way of self-expression. Nurturing and allowing them to talk about their feelings and emotions is very crucial in their growth and developmental years.
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