How can I support my child's mental health and develop their emotional literacy skills?

What is emotional literacy?

Have you ever noticed your child give you a hug when you’re feeling sad, offer you a treat when you look tired, or point out how excited you are before visiting a friend? These moments are more than kindness — they’re powerful examples of emotional literacy.

Emotional literacy is the ability to recognise, understand, manage and express emotions in a healthy way. It helps children empathise with others, build relationships and cope with day-to-day challenges — all of which play a huge role in how well they learn at school or during online tutoring sessions. 

Some children pick up emotional skills naturally, while others need more guidance. The good news? Emotional literacy can be developed from toddlerhood right through secondary school, and parents, carers and trusted adults play a key part in that journey.

At My Primary and Secondary Tutor, we support families across Scotland and the UK through academic tutoring and our specialist Emotions First programme, which places emotional wellbeing at the heart of learning.

How Parents Can Support Their Child’s Emotional Literacy

Here are simple, practical ways you can help your child build emotional understanding — whether they’re in primary school, secondary school or currently receiving online tutoring.

1️⃣ Label Their Emotions

Younger children often express emotions loudly — crying, stomping, shouting, giggling — but they don’t always have the words to describe how they feel.

You can support them by naming emotions in the moment. For example:

“I can see your fists are clenched and you’ve been shouting. I wonder if you’re feeling frustrated because you were asked to stop playing. I would feel frustrated too.”

This approach:

✔ Helps children link physical reactions to emotions
✔ Teaches vocabulary they can later use independently
✔ Builds trust and emotional awareness

Over time, this creates a strong foundation for emotional literacy.

2️⃣ Use Games to Explore Feelings

Games make learning fun — whether it’s maths, reading or emotional skills. Try these activities with children aged 5–11:

Create a Face (Playdough or Drawing)

Have your child create faces showing different emotions.
• Younger children can use flashcards or mirrors for ideas
• Older children can explore complex feelings like jealousy or loneliness

Discuss the facial expressions and talk about when they’ve seen those emotions in real life.

Freeze Frame

Give your child a scenario and ask them to freeze in a pose showing how they would feel.

Examples:
• “You’ve gone to buy your favourite sweets — and they’ve run out. Freeze frame!”
• “The mouse has just seen the Gruffalo. Freeze frame!”
• “You’ve just seen the best swimming pool ever. Freeze frame!”

This builds empathy, awareness and confidence.

Create Artwork

Draw pictures showing what it means to be a good friend. Encourage your child to label emotions and actions.

3️⃣ Use Books and Media That Teach Emotional Skills

There are now countless books, websites, TV shows and films supporting children’s emotional development.

Top book recommendations for emotional literacy:

Early Years:
• The Lion Inside
• Perfectly Norman
• The Day the Crayons Quit
• The Colour Monster
• Worrysaurus

Ages 9+:
• The Boy at the Back of the Class
• The Worries
• Be Your Own Superhero
• Wonder
• A Different Sort of Normal

Reading stories like these can support conversations about feelings in an age-appropriate, comforting way.

Children’s Mental Health Week

Each February, Place2Be hosts Children’s Mental Health Week, raising awareness of the emotional challenges that children face in an ever-changing world. Their website offers free resources that families can use at home.

How Our Emotions First Programme Supports Emotional Literacy

At My Primary and Secondary Tutor, we know children learn best when they feel safe, seen and understood. That’s why we created Emotions First — a specialist programme focused on emotional literacy and wellbeing.

Emotions First helps children:
✔ Recognise and name their feelings
✔ Understand why they feel that way
✔ Express emotions more confidently
✔ Build resilience for school, friendships and learning
✔ Strengthen their confidence during online tutoring sessions

By supporting emotional literacy alongside academic tutoring, we help children develop the mindset they need to succeed.

When children believe in themselves, they truly can achieve.

If you’d like to learn more about our emotional literacy support or our online tutoring across Scotland and the UK, get in touch — we’re here to help your child thrive.

At My Primary and Secondary Tutor we provide expert one-to-one and group tuition for pupils across Scotland, the wider UK and online, supporting children from P1 to S6 and Key Stage 1 to GCSE. Our experienced fully qualified teachers are specialists in both the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence and the English National Curriculum, helping pupils who are struggling, have gaps in learning or want to build confidence across a wide range of subjects. We offer tailored support in English, maths, history, geography, physics, modern studies, accounting, economics, business, IT and our unique Emotions First programme designed to nurture children’s emotional wellbeing alongside academic progress. Parents trust our team of tutors to deliver high-quality professional tuition that meets every learner’s needs. Find out more and book a session by emailing karen@myprimaryandsecondarytutor.com or completing our contact us form.

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