Five Steps of Emotion Coaching

 

Parenting is an ongoing learning experience. Parents try to do their best and at times we as parents feel that we have no more tools in the toolbox and we are lost at what to do next. Dr. Gottman did some research on parenting and he identified a parenting style he calls emotion coaching. Emotion coaching has five steps for a parent to coach a child through their emotions and how to handle them. The five steps are:

1. Be aware of your child’s emotion

2. Recognize your child’s expression of emotion as a perfect moment for teaching

3. Listen with empathy and validate your child’s feelings

4. Help your child learn to label their emotions with words

5. Set limits when you are helping your child to solve problems or deal with upsetting situations appropriately.

If a parent can use this emotion coaching tool, they will teach their children how to identify and cope with their own feelings, improve self-confidence of the child and the child performs better is social and academic situations, according to the research that Dr. Gottman has completed.  Below is a diagram showing the emotion coaching steps.

Tiffany Hayner, LMSW

Quick Tips for the School Year

 

With the new school year starting soon many are wondering how school is going to go this year. Some schools are limiting how often students go to school and others are offering solely online for those who do not feel comfortable sending their children to school.

Here are some quick tips to help with children regardless if your child(ren) are doing solely online or doing part time online.

·         -- Set up an area that is solely for your child to do their school work. Keep the distractions as minimal as you can. 

·         -- Figure out a schedule that works best with the requirements from the school and your family’s schedule.

·        -- Limit their screen time with games, etc. until they have completed their school work to the best of their ability.

·         -- Get in contact with your school to see if there are alternatives if you notice your child is struggling as they work to complete their assignments online.

·         -- Find ways for your child to still be able to socially connect with friends, such as being able to FaceTime them or be able to send messages. Many clients that I worked with missed the social connection most when they were having to schooling online only.

·         -- Create a list of activities that they can do on their own or you do it as a family where they are able to get out do something that allows them to get their physical energy out.

Carmen Stites, LPC