Lesson Tag: feelings

Human beings are built to reflect each other’s emotions. When children display intense feelings and behaviors, our brains naturally reflect those. We start to feel stressed, angry, fearful, or overwhelmed, just like our kids. The most helpful thing we can do is to develop a brain calming practice and make it part of our daily routine.

Even before the Pandemic, mental health disorders were the most common diseases of childhood (https://childmind.org/2015-childrens-mental-health-report/). Due to the dramatic increase in children and teens entering hospital emergency departments, some are declaring a pediatric mental health emergency. Whether your child is doing fine and you want to prevent future mental health issues, or your child just doesn’t seem like their usual self or has actually declared suicidal thoughts, you can help. 

Mental health is our emotional, psychological and social well-being, according to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Parents with Mental Health Literacy recognize that their own mental health affects their children’s well-being and that children’s behavior is sometimes a call for help. Mental health literacy is the ability to prevent, recognize and cope with mental health conditions.

A better relationship with your child starts with helping them to understand and talk about their own feelings and the feelings of others. This skill is called “emotional intelligence” and it helps them to feel better about themselves and grow closer to you. As you help your child to develop more emotional intelligence it will naturally lead to less arguing and misbehaviors at home and help them to have stronger relationships throughout their life.

Many educators assume that gifted students are more capable than their peers of handling social emotional challenges. That is not always the case. Gifted students can also struggle with anxiety, depression, and social difficulties. Families can help their children by strengthening social emotional skills. 

Human beings are built to reflect each other’s emotions. When children display intense feelings and behaviors, our brains naturally reflect those. We start to feel stressed, angry, fearful, or overwhelmed, just like our kids. The most helpful thing we can do is to develop a brain calming practice and make it part of our daily routine.

Many parents and educators assume that gifted students are more capable than their peers of handling social emotional challenges. That is not always the case. Gifted students actually struggle with anxiety, depression, and social difficulties at higher rates. Families can help their children by strengthening social emotional skills at home. Participants will gain practical skills in supporting the social emotional health of their gifted children.

When Teens understand how their brain works and what they can do to strengthen brain health, their social-emotional well-being and motivation to learn increases.

It can be a challenge to help your child feel safe when we are all navigating a new normal and trying to keep up. Children are especially at risk if they have not learned skills to cope with fear and other stressors. Now that children are spending more time with parents, it is particularly important for parents to recognize that we are the filters through which our children see that world. 

• Do you find yourself trying to solve your child's problems?
• Do you sometimes get into conflict about problems that aren't really yours to solve?
• Do you wish your child would be more effective at dealing with challenges? 

When you recognize who "owns" a problem, you are able to determine who is responsible for solving a problem. Once you know which problems are yours to solve and which problems are your child's responsibility to solve, life gets a lot easier.

We often fall into conflicts when we try to solve our kids' problems. And it is important to raise children who know how to solve problems. When teens perceive that they are problem solvers, they are less likely to use substances, less likely to harm themselves or others and they are all around more competent.

 A better relationship with your child starts with emotional intelligence. 

Emotional intelligence increases children's self-worth and cooperation, it improves communication and strengthens the parent-child connection. Family conflict decreases with strong emotional intelligence and it impacts all of your child's future relationships.