Understanding Feelings & Communication for Parents, Schools & Safeguarding Professionals

Understanding feelings and communication is a key part of helping children feel safe, confident, and able to speak up.

This section brings together practical guidance for parents, schools, and safeguarding-aware adults supporting children aged 5–10. The articles below are designed to help adults guide children through big feelings, respectful behaviour, friendship issues, speaking up, empathy, difference, inclusion, and everyday communication challenges.

These guides are written in a calm, clear, preventative style to support early conversations before small issues grow into bigger problems.

Who this section is for

This section is for:

• parents and carers

• teachers and school staff

• safeguarding professionals

• adults supporting children aged 5–10

• anyone helping children understand feelings, behaviour, and communication

What this section covers

The guides in this section help adults support children with:

• recognising and naming feelings

• understanding strong emotions

• speaking up when something feels wrong

• respectful behaviour

• fairness and inclusion

• friendship problems

• empathy and kindness

• social behaviour and emotional confidence

These topics matter because children often need help putting feelings into words, understanding other people, and learning how to respond safely and respectfully in everyday situations.

Articles in this section

• How to Help a Child Speak Up About Their Feelings

• Helping Children Manage Big Feelings in a Digital World (Ages 5–10)

• What to Do When a Child Says Something Feels Wrong (Ages 5–10)

• What Aggression in Young Children Can Really Be Telling You (Ages 5–10)

• Teaching Children Respect Between Boys and Girls from an Early Age (Ages 5–10)

• What to Do When a Child Does Not Want to Go to School (Ages 5–10)

• How to Help Children Play Fair, Take Turns and Include Others (Ages 5–10)

• How to Talk to Children About Difference, Race and Kindness (Ages 5–10)

• How to Help a Child Handle Friendship Fallouts and Being Left Out (Ages 5–10)

• How to Talk to Children About Respectful Behaviour When They Copy Rude or Harmful Language (Ages 5–10)

These articles are designed to help adults build emotional safety, clearer communication, and stronger early support around the real situations children face at home, in school, and in everyday life.

You can explore the books here

Professionals and parents can also access structured safeguarding resources here

You can explore our Toolkits here