Tamera Mowry Shares 5 Ways to Cheer Up Your Child

Like adults children go through mood strings, have bad days or maybe just need a little pick-me-up every now and then. When our kids are sad sometimes it’s hard to know what to do or how to cheer them up. On her blog, actress and talk-show-host Tamera Mowry shared 5 ways to cheer up your child when they’re feeling blue.

1. Allow them to get it all out. Little ones express themselves in the only way they know how: throwing a fit, crying, screaming, you get it. Not that this is a fun thing to deal with when you’re in public, but a lot of times they just need to work through difficult emotions. Letting them take a second to show you how they feel is a way of getting them to figure out the issue on their own. They’ll usually move on once they’re all cried out.

2. Show them your sense of humor. One thing that we can all agree on as parents is that kids love to laugh. Especially with small children, just the fact that we’re trying to make them smile makes them feel loved and special. Before reaching for toys or treats, I like to see if there’s a way I can do something silly to cheer Aden up. Funny faces or sounds don’t always do the trick, but every now and then that’s all a baby needs!

3. Let them know their feelings are valid. It’s important to let your child know that what they’re feeling is OK. Saying, “Don’t cry,” or “Calm down,” doesn’t always have the effect you think: sometimes it sends the message that they shouldn’t feel the way they do. Once Aden sees that his momma sympathizes (even if I really don’t know why he is upset) he starts to look more hopeful. When I see him start to smile I know that all he wanted was a little acknowledgement.

4. Offer the unexpected. You don’t necessarily always need to go buy a new toy or a piece of candy to cheer them up (though that certainly does the trick in dire situations! Lol). But I think the secret behind those tactics to is to offer up something they wouldn’t normally get, that they love. Once again, it makes them feel special. If you can break away for a moment to take them for a walk or spend an hour at the playground, the unexpected stimulation might just make them forget they were ever upset.

5. Get them involved. I wish I could say I’m always able to break away when Aden needs a little one-on-one playtime. But another way to offer up the unexpected is to get children involved in what you’re doing at that moment. From prepping a meal to folding laundry to “helping” you run errands, these can all take your child’s mind off of their stressor. It’s strange how quickly those activities become less like a chore and more like a way to hang with mom!