Parenting Guide

5 Social & Emotional Intelligence Skills Parents Need To Learn

Published by SchoolAdvisor | Jul 28, 2015
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Just because you're a parent, it doesn't mean you've experienced it all. There are a lot of social-emotional intelligence skills that parents need to learn in order for them to understand their children better.

1. Self-Awareness

What is it?

Self-awareness is about knowing your emotions, strengths and challenges, and how your emotions affect your behavior.

How do I practice it?

Take a good look at yourself in the morning before leaving for work. Look at your facial expression. Are you constantly frowning? Do you look worried? Ask yourself why are you feeling this way? Think of how can you re-establish peace and happiness back into your mood by being grateful. Finally, smile. Smiling is an effective mood booster and it is contagious.

2. Self-management

What is it?

Self-management is knowing how to manage your behaviors and moods, as well as setting and working toward goals.

How do I practice it?

The first step to successfully deal with stress and negative emotions is to identify the cause behind it. Usually, your child isn't the one upsetting you. It could be you are lacking rest, feeling stressed from work, or you might feel overwhemed. Take a moment to reflect on your emotions. Ask yourself: "How can I manage my emotions better so that I will set a positive example for my child?" By showing your child you are a calm, reliable leader, you will effectively teach them how to manage their emotions successfully.

3. Social Awareness

What is it?

Social awareness is the ability to understand and respect the perspectives of others, and to apply this knowledge to interactions with people from diverse backgrounds.

How do I practice it?

Think about the way you interact with others. While at work, if someone disagreed with you, did you take their response personally and became defensive? Or did you take a step back to reflect on their words and understand their point of view? Think of how you can be more diplomatic with others and how to respond in a more positive manner. Keep in mind that your child sees you as a leader who is setting examples for them on how to respond to criticism.

4. Relationship Skills

What is it?

Having good relationship skills involves knowing how to establish and keep rewarding and positive relationships with friends, family and others from a wide range of backgrounds.

How do I practice it?

After having dinner together as a family, think back to how you responded to other people throughout the day. Did you make meaningful eye contact with your child when they talked to you? Did you actively listen to their concerns? Did you follow through when your kid broke rules? Did you keep your promise? Can your family trust you to keep to your words? Regularly have meals together with your kids to establish a safe time for them to talk and confide to you.

5. Responsible decision making

What is it?

Responsible decision-making involves identifying the impact of your choices on yourself and others, and using empathy, relationship skills and self- and social awareness to make decisions.

How do I practice it?

Practice self-reflection before you go to bed. Think about the decisions you have made recently. How did you come to such a decision? How did your decision affect others? What did you base your decision on? Talk with your child regarding your decision making strategy so they know there is a process involved before making a big decision.

*This post was adapted from www.parenttoolkit.com.