Ms Laura Keane:

No, I was also going to make the point that it is more typical for children to show us what they are feeling rather than articulating it. The children Barnardos works with are predominantly in middle childhood and children do struggle to articulate what is going on with them and how they are feeling. They need support to learn those words and those skills. A lot of the time, it is about looking at what their behaviour is telling us. A significant piece we can support parents with through our work is trying to see behaviour as their children's way of communicating with them. The children may not be able to say they are feeling worried or scared or that they miss their friends. They are more likely to show that by acting out, withdrawing or whatever it might be. One of the most important parts of our work is helping parents to understand what their children are showing them as a means of communication. I wanted to reiterate that very important point on what behaviour shows us.