Five ways to emotionally smart kids
February 19, 2008
Imaginif…you knew how important emotional intelligence is! Mum and Dad, how do you feel right now? Are you sure it is a feeling and not a thought? Do you even know the difference?
There are over 3000 feeling words but we mostly ever only teach our kids six! Six words for our kids to use throughout their life time?? Appalling. I sure want to teach my kids all there is to know - if there’s over 3000 feeling words I had better study up to ensure I am a responsible and loving parent who looks after my children’s entire development - not just their academic and physical development.
Emotional intelligence can keep kids safe. Contact the talk doctors at Imaginif to find out how, or, try these five ways to make your kids smarter:
- Learn a new feeling word a week. Here’s a list of feeling words to get you started. Here’s, Parent Sense for some more ideas.
- Use the formula for clear communication: I feel…when you…because…
- Ask your child how they feel about going to school.
- Ask your child what they think about going to school. Teacher’s note: Are you smart enough to know the difference between feel and think, Mum and Dad? If not, come see the talk doctors at Imaginif or read all our Emotional Intelligence articles.
- Get to know your early warning feeling signs. Draw a body outline. Use red to shade where you feel anger, blue where you feel calm, maybe green where you feel content, etc. Imagine spreading the blue all over your body - especially when some bully has picked on you!
Comments
7 Responses to “Five ways to emotionally smart kids”
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As always, something to make me think a bit more about how to be a better parent - and person. Thanks.
I am giving you an award at my place because you are Excellent.
I love that last point, especially. Learning to listen to what your body is telling you is so kewl.
As a side note - Mr Bean is awesome at showing how our bodies respond in different situations, particularly in the episode where he goes to see a scary movie. The way he reacts and what his body does is brilliant.
Jeanie, you are pretty excellent yourself. Thank you for the award.
Alison, lol…I dislike Mr Bean but use him all the time as an example of emotional intelligence modelling. His miming of behaviours and faces is brilliant for helping kids to get in touch with their emotional side. Have you seen my protective behaviour document Parent Sense? I offer a Mr Bean activity in it.
Fantastic document, Megan. I read Grandparent Sense from your link in another post and loved that, too.
I don’t mind Mr Bean, I find him fascinating to watch from an acting perspective as well as the emotional intelligence aspects.
I love the tips for teaching communicating to kids! Thanks, Megan. I’d love to use this as a reference.
You can use what ever you want as a resource PSMama. The more we work together to keep kids safe, the quicker the predators will realise that child protection is a force not to be reckoned with. I believe strongly in parent power and influence. Thanks for linking to this over at your site.
Great ideas. Especially the last one. My nephew will be 7 tomorrow and he is starting voice more complex emotions. He is both artistic and a kinesthetic learner, so I think emotions in color on the body might be very helpful. I’ll have to forward this idea to my brother!