It can be difficult telling others how we feel. Not only is it hard putting our feelings into words, opening up to others can be scary.
Talking about emotions can be even more difficult for children, especially if they’re still learning how to express themselves, but there are benefits in encouraging them to talk about how they feel.
Developing resilience, building confidence, better school performance and increased empathy are just some of the amazing benefits kids can experience when encouraged to talk about how they feel.
That’s why we developed Feelings- the new Spacetalk feature that encourages kids to tell you how they feel by choosing an emoji that best reflects their current emotion.
Bringing clarity to complex emotions
Emotions are confusing for even adults at the best of times, that is even more so the case for kids, especially if they’re feeling a few different things at once.
It could be the anger and sadness felt after fighting with a sibling, or a complicated mix of happiness and excitement that they’re going to a birthday party, but also guilt that one of their friends wasn’t invited.
Feelings aims to open the conversation between parents, guardians and kids to help them recognise, label and work through a range of different emotions.
This can help kids become more emotionally aware, a skill that will benefit them throughout their childhood and well into their adult lives.
There are 12 feelings to choose from:
From Adventurer:
Kids can voluntarily send you a Feelings update update at any time, right from their watch.
All they have to do is tap on the Feelings icon and select the person they want to send a Feelings update to. Kids can only send Feelings updates to the primary account holder, or any other shared users.
From there the Feelings emojis will pop up and they tap the one that best reflects how they feel. Easy!
From the Spacetalk App:
If your child has sent a Feelings update within the last 30 minutes, you can view your child’s current Feelings emoji from the Spacetalk app on your phone. The emoji will appear next to their picture on the map screen, so you can see their mood at a glance. This icon will turn grey after 30 minutes, after which you can request another Feelings update.
To do this, simply tap on the Feelings icon to request an update from your child. once the request is sent, your child will receive a notification on their watch, prompting them to choose an emoji.
To see your child’s current Feelings emoji as well as their heart rate and step count, tap on your child’s profile and tap on the Feelings icon. These elements all work together to help form an overall picture of your child’s emotional state. For example, a low step count and high heart rate might mean your child is anxious.
From this screen you can call or message your child directly, handy if their current mood means they might need some reassurance.
By encouraging kids to think about their feelings in this way, they will start becoming more familiar with their emotions.
This familiarity will make it a little easier for kids to develop healthy coping mechanisms for difficult emotions, an essential skill they will need for the rest of their lives.
The wellness features are currently available on Spacetalk devices purchased through the Spacetalk online store and approved retail partners only. Spacetalk is a consumer grade general wellness device, not a certified medical device. Spacetalk wellness features are not intended for medical diagnostics. The information provided in this website or the Spacetalk mobile application is not a substitute for obtaining proper professional care or services. You should seek independent advice from a medical professional as required.