“How are you feeling?” seems like such a simple question, but for many children it can be very tricky to answer. That’s because it can mean different things, and children don’t always know which one we’re asking about.
- Sometimes we’re asking about emotions like happiness, sadness, anger, or excitement; feelings that come from experiences and situations.
- Other times, we’re really asking about what’s happening inside their body, such as whether they’re hungry, tired, uncomfortable, unwell, or overwhelmed.
What are homeostatic emotions and interoception?
These body-based feelings are known as homeostatic emotions, often referred to as interoception. These feelings can be very challenging for children to communicate, especially if they are dysregulated. A child might say they feel “angry” or “bad,” when what they are actually experiencing is hunger, exhaustion, or sensory overload. Sometimes they can’t answer the question at all because they genuinely don’t know how to describe what’s going on inside.
Homeostatic emotions are driven by the body’s need for balance. Hunger, thirst, tiredness, pain, feeling unwell, or being sensory overloaded all fall into this category. For children, these signals rarely come out as clear words. Instead, they show up through behaviour. A hungry or exhausted child may become irritable, tearful, aggressive, withdrawn, or unable to cope with small frustrations. To adults, this can look like overreacting or “bad behaviour,” but from a nervous system perspective, it’s a body that has reached its limit.
This is different from affective emotions, which are emotional responses to experiences, thoughts, and social situations. Feelings like happiness, sadness, anger, fear, excitement, pride, or disappointment are shaped by relationships, expectations, and experiences, and rely more on emotional awareness and thinking skills.
A helpful way to think about the difference is that homeostatic emotions come from the body, while affective emotions come from experiences. It is important to remember that often homeostatic emotions often come first and strongly influence emotional reactions. A tired, hungry, or overwhelmed child may appear angry, upset or defiant, but the anger is often secondary to the body being dysregulated.
Practical strategies to support interoceptive awareness at home
A tip we use in therapy is to frame homeostatic emotions as “body clues” and affective emotions as “emotions”. This can help a child decipher what you are asking; instead of asking generally “how’re you feeling?” you can ask “what are you body clues right now” and “what emotion does this make you feel?”
Understanding homeostatic emotions can be a big shift for parents. Instead of asking, “Why is my child behaving like this?” it can help to ask, “What might my child’s body be trying to tell me right now?”. When body needs are met first (through rest, food, movement, sensory input, or connection), emotional regulation becomes much more achievable.
With the right support, children can develop the skills they need to understand their bodies and emotions — and parents can feel more confident responding with calm, clarity, and connection.
How Inner West Paediatrics Can Help
At Inner West Paediatrics, our experienced occupational therapists work closely with families to identify and put strategies in place to support interoceptive and emotional awareness, which can have big impacts on a child’s participation in their everyday activities and routines.
We provide:
- Comprehensive occupational therapy assessments
- Individualised therapy plans
- Fun, engaging sessions that build skills and confidence
- Support for parents and carers
- Collaborative, holistic care with other professionals
📞 Reach out to the team at Inner West Paediatrics to book a consultation or learn more on (02) 9560 8905 or info@innerwestpaediatrics.com.au (or Contact Us through our website).
