FeelLinks Blog

As parents, we teach our children to apologize to siblings, parents and friends when they have hurt them in some way. Parents, when you make a mistake, do you apologize to your child or do you resist doing so? Today I discuss why it is important to model the same behavior we are expecting from our children - and apologizing is one of them.

"Name it to tame it" was coined by Dr. Daniel Siegel. When we are experiencing heightened emotions, naming our feelings calms our emotional response. Teaching our children to accurately understand and label their feelings are the first steps in supporting them to be better problem solvers.

Not taking "things" in life for granted, means finding and expressing gratitude and appreciation for them. My child's thoughtful, "aha moment", is a beautiful reminder for us all to practice gratitude and be sure to teach it to our children.

Sports, (and other activities), bring on numerous emotions for our children. Parents, we need to be there to 'coach' them through these feelings. Supporting our children's growth in emotional intelligence will help them to achieve goals, have greater focus and foster leadership skills, among many other benefits.

Self-care is vital for our mental health and well-being in order to be our best selves for our children, partners, friends, and more. Recharge. Rejuvenate. Fuel up.