Sometimes kids tell you what they need directly, while other times you need to put some effort into understanding what’s going on.

A young child, for example, may not have the language they need to articulate what they’re feeling, but a teen may be evasive because they’re anxious about confiding something personal.

It’s not possible for you to foresee every tricky scenario that your kid will bring to you or even know exactly how to respond in that moment.

It is your job to listen to your child, to make space for them to tell you what they’re feeling and to reach out for more help when necessary.

For guidance, we asked a number of mental health professionals what phrases kids say that you should never ignore. Here’s what they had to say.

Statements about their identity

Your child may want to disclose something to you about who they are. Dr. Michelle Forcier, a clinician at Folx Health, an LGBTQ health care provider, told HuffPost that kids may say something like:

In these cases, listen attentively to your child, thank them for sharing this with you and reaffirm your love for them.

If they approach you at a moment when you can’t talk, make sure your child knows that what they have to say is important to you.

“Even when you are busy, look them in the eye and say, ‘I hear you and want to hear more. Can we wait 20 minutes until I am off the phone with ... then we can sit down and in private have all the time you need to talk and for me to listen,’” advised Forcier.

“A child sharing deeply personal information or self-truths is a true gift,” she continued.

Kristin Wilson, a licensed professional counsellor with Newport Healthcare, told HuffPost: “The fact that your kids are coming to you with a struggle or issue that they’re facing really speaks volumes to your relationship. They brought up the topic because they feel safe with you.”

You should thank your child for sharing this with you and show them how much it means to you by giving them your full attention.

“If you do not honour this gift by making time and room for it, your child may not choose to try and share again,” Forcier said.

Statements about feeling low

If a kid is struggling socially or with their self-image, they might say things like:

If the issue is anxiety or some other stress, they could say something vague, such as:

It can be hard to differentiate life’s regular ups-and-downs from something more........

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