What are unspoken tensions?

Unspoken tensions are like when two friends want to play with the same toy but don’t say it out loud.

Imagine you and your friend both really like that red ball in the middle of the playground. You both want to kick it, but neither of you says anything, you just look at each other sometimes, or maybe you frown a little when the other one kicks it. That’s an unspoken tension, it’s not magic; it's just that you're both trying to figure out who gets to play with the ball first, without actually saying it.

Sometimes people feel things inside their heads but don’t say them out loud because they’re not sure how the other person will react. It’s like when your brother takes the last cookie from the jar, you might not say anything right away, but you feel a little upset.

Sometimes people just need to take a deep breath and say what's on their minds. Or they can find another way to share, maybe take turns or pick a different toy. That way, the tension goes away, and everyone is happy again!