How to Be an Emotionally Intelligent Parent
At our Midwest summer camp near Madison, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois, we recognize the importance of how our adult interactions impact the youth whom we serve. We strive to foster an environment where children are empowered to be their best selves. A recent article shared some good insights on how to be an emotionally intelligent parent. Check out our summary below, with the full article available at this link: bakadesuyo.com/2022/03/parenting
This is how to be an emotionally intelligent parent:
- The 4 Systems: Playing dictator should be a last resort. (Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four” was not a parenting guide.) Deal with kids a lot more like you deal with adults – through influence, not demands.
- Ask “Who owns the problem?”: You can teach problem-solving and get more free time for yourself with one fell swoop. Let kids own their problems. Be an advisor.
- When the kid owns the problem, use active listening: Inigo Montoya recommends acceptance. Let them say how they feel, acknowledge those emotions and feed that back to them. If you don’t, all they’re going to hear is WA-WA-WA-WA. And then you will feel talking is pointless.
- When you own the problem, use “I” messages: In a conflict discussion, any sentence that begins with “you” and does not end with “are so wonderful” will be perceived as a rhetorical cluster grenade. Neutrally state the behavior, say how it makes you feel, state the negative concrete effects on you. This will teach them to behave better because they care.
Source article: bakadesuyo.com/2022/03/parenting