Resources · Feelings at home

Body signals: helping your child notice hunger, tiredness and big feelings

By Sangeetha (Sang) Varghese, Occupational Therapist · 5 November 2026 · 4 min read

Illustration of a heart with a pulse line inside a warm arch, surrounded by a water bottle, an apple, a moon with a pillow and small dots

Most of us know the five senses. There’s another one that’s easy to miss, called interoception (in-ter-oh-SEP-shun). It’s the sense that tells you what’s happening inside your body: hungry, thirsty, hot, tired, or needing the toilet [1].

An outline of a body with six labelled signals: heavy eyes may mean tired, a rumbly tummy hungry, a full bladder toilet time, a dry mouth thirsty, a racing heart excited or worried, and a tight tummy nervous — Signals feel different for different people. Your child’s own words are the ones that count.

Why it matters

Our bodies and our feelings are closely linked. Worry might feel like a tight tummy. Researchers have linked the sense of the body’s inner state with emotion [1, 3], which is why you may hear about it in schools and in occupational therapy. A recent scoping review of interoception in children’s occupational therapy found the evidence is still developing [2], so I see these as gentle ideas to try and not a set program.

Body signals can feel different from one person to the next. In one study of autistic adults, accuracy at detecting their own heartbeat was lower on average than in non-autistic adults, even though the autistic adults rated themselves as aware of their body signals [3]. That study was of adults, and this area is still being researched.

Notice, name, respond

Here is one way I think about it, as three small steps. It’s a practical idea and not a tested program.

Three steps with an example: notice, my mouth feels dry; name, I think I am thirsty; respond, I will get some water — The same three steps work for hunger, tiredness and feelings.

Ideas to try at home

Say your own signals out loud: “My mouth is dry and it’s hot today. I’ll have some water.”
After running or jumping, put a hand on your chests and feel your hearts beating fast, then slowing down.
Compare warm hands and cold hands after a bath or a play outside.
Draw around your child on a big sheet of paper, and mark where they feel things.
Talk about big moments later, when everyone is calm.
Use outside reminders if they help, like a drink before leaving school. Older children may prefer something quiet, such as a phone or watch reminder.

Instead of	You could try
“You’re fine.”	“Your shoulders look tight. What do you notice?”
“You can’t be hungry.”	“What’s your tummy telling you?”
“Calm down.”	“Your breathing is fast. Let’s slow it down together.”

For any pain or a change in toileting, start with your GP so physical causes can be checked. If you’d like to talk about the everyday side of body signals, you’re welcome to contact me.

References

This article is general information. It is not advice about your own child. Talk to your GP or another health professional about any health concern.