Hey there, wonderful moms! Welcome to our latest series for your parenting journey, which is all about fostering emotional intelligence and resilience in our kids. Have you ever wondered how to equip your little ones with the tools they need to navigate life’s ups and downs? Well, that’s where Social and Emotional Learning, or SEL, comes into play. In this series of blogs, we’ll dive into the world of SEL and explore how to seamlessly integrate these invaluable skills into our daily parenting routines. SEL skills enhance both you and your child’s capacity for resilience and also clarify the lens through which you see your worlds intertwine. This clarity allows both you and your child to truly see each other shine. In this blog series, we aim to provide you with SEL concepts, action steps, and resources that are backed by research. Let’s begin with a couple of examples that outline how you might begin integrating SEL skills into everyday life with your child.
An interaction with your child without social and emotional consideration and competency may resemble Joana’s interaction below.
Joana’s oldest arrives home from middle school, shoulders slumped and looking down. Joana asks, “How was your day?”
With social-emotional consideration, the question Joana asked may overshadow the current emotions her child is experiencing. Instead, Joana may approach her child by asking, “Hey, I noticed you look a bit down. How can I support you right now?” This method of approaching your child offers them a way to communicate with you in the safe space you are offering them. It also assures them that you are here for their support. This is the power of social awareness, one of the core competencies of SEL. By recognizing and responding to your child’s emotional experiences, you create an environment that allows them to develop emotion regulation skills. And guess what? Research shows that kids who are emotionally aware and supported tend to perform better academically and have healthier relationships.
However, SEL isn’t just about acknowledging feelings; it’s also about managing them. Imagine your little one experiencing a moment of frustration because that one puzzle piece just won’t fit. Instead of letting it escalate into a meltdown, you guide them to take a deep breath and try another approach. Voila! You’ve just introduced self-management, another vital competency of SEL. There are a wide variety of activities and tools that you can use with your child to help them develop their self-management abilities. As your kiddo grows up, these simple self-regulation skills evolve into more complex tools for handling stress, making sound decisions, and facing challenges head-on. As we mature, the ability to pause, breathe, reflect, and then re-assess a problem is vital to preventing burnout while pursuing success.
But wait, there’s more! Our SEL journey won’t just revolve around our kids. As parents, we’ll be refining our own emotional intelligence, as well! Remember that time when you found yourself snapping at your partner due to a stressful day? With improved self-awareness, you can catch those triggers and choose more constructive responses. It’s all about role modeling, showing our kids that emotions are natural and that learning how to handle emotions is a lifelong skill.
As we delve deeper into this series, we’ll explore each of the core competencies of SEL, share engaging activities and games, and recommend insightful resources that have been tried and tested by many parents. Together, we will navigate the challenges and joys of integrating SEL into our parenting style. So, buckle up, because the path to nurturing emotionally intelligent, resilient, and empathetic children starts right here!
Stay tuned for the upcoming blogs, which will equip you with actionable tips and heartwarming stories to make your parenting journey all the more rewarding, manageable, and relatable!
References & Further Reading
CASEL – What is SEL?
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
Edutopia – The Power of SEL
Greenberg, M. T., & Abenavoli, R. M. (2017). The importance of teaching and learning resilience in schools. Psychology in the Schools, 54(5), 488-498.
Jones, S. M., & Bouffard, S. M. (2012). Social and emotional learning in schools: From programs to strategies. Social Policy Report, 26(4), 1-31.