S1E143: Helping children understand and manage their emotions

S1E143: Helping children understand and manage their emotions

From Health Check by The Straits Times

December 2, 2025 · 29 min · Season 1 · Episode 143

About this episode

This episode provides insights from a psychiatrist on how parents can help their children understand and manage their emotions.

A psychiatrist's guide to your child's emotional well-being. Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you. Many parents spend time teaching their kids essential skills like reading or spelling but they often forget to teach them a key skill that will determine their success, their relationships, and their overall happiness. That is emotional regulation.  In this episode, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo talks to Dr Ong Say How, a child and adolescent psychiatrist. He’s the chairperson of creative services and youth committee at SAMH and a senior consultant psychiatrist at the Institute of Mental Health.  Highlights (click/tap above): 1:49 What exactly is emotional regulation?  6:40 Signs that a child might be struggling emotionally  11:14 It’s ok to tell your children that you’re concerned about them 15:00 Screen time limits can help with a child’s ability to handle boredom and regulate mood 20:51 Parents must be role models 22:24 What parents can do to repair the damage after losing their cool?  24:13 You don’t have to shield your child from…

People in this episode

Host: Joyce Teo

Guest: Dr Ong Say How

Topics covered

  • emotional regulation
  • child psychology
  • parenting
  • mental health
  • emotional well-being

Keywords

  • emotional regulation
  • child emotions
  • parenting tips
  • mental health
  • child psychiatrist

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: SAMH, Institute of Mental Health, The Straits Times

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