Helping Kids Develop Emotional Agility

Just read an interesting article about teaching your child emotional agility. Sorry helicopter parents!  I’ve found more evidence that proves that providing that protective bubble around your child actually harms them in the long run!  According to psychologist Dr. Susan David, “How children navigate their emotional world is critical to lifelong success.”  When given these opportunities, toddlers become better problem solvers and teens have better self esteem.  On the other end of the spectrum, those who don’t acquire this “emotional intelligence” may develop depression and anxiety.

So Dr. David suggests 4 steps to help your child manage their emotions.

1. Feel It: Validate your child’s feelings.
2. Show It: Make it okay for your child to show their feelings.
3. Label It: Help your child understand what they are feeling and name it.
4. Watch It (Go): Remind your child about how the most painful emotions go away.

I find it interesting that Dr. David says that children feel stronger when they learn that it’s not about how they feel, but how they respond to their feelings, that counts. It seems to me that it’s really about communicating their “perception” of interactions and moving on from there.

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