An emotional 7 year old

Large boy is pretty good at recognising and expressing emotions. Every now and then, always at bed time, he tells us he’s sad but doesn’t know why.

The soft mummy in me assumes he’s been bottling it up all day and is finally letting it out. The suspicious mummy part wonders if he’s procrastinating.

We always try to gently ask what’s wrong. Suggest openings to discuss what’s bothering him. A playground fallout? Trouble with a teacher? Worry about someone? Any questions?

We don’t push too hard because we don’t want to put ideas into his head about things that are worrying (my declining gran, their lost baby brother, Santa isn’t real). But we want him to tell us if he can.

Maybe he genuinely doesn’t know. I think that’s pretty normal, we all have days where we just don’t feel positive. I’m glad he knows how he’s feeling and tells us so we can provide hugs and reassurance.

Tonight, he had tears which isn’t normally the case. Even more unusual, he knows what’s wrong: daddy’s away and he wants daddy to be there at bedtime.

Tomorrow that’ll depend on flights and passport and baggage queues, unlikely though. But all being well himself will be home before the end of the ever-self-extending reading time and large boy will be very pleased to see him.