It is well known that teens' ability to identify and manage emotions effectively has a direct impact on their social relationships, academic achievement, health, and overall wellbeing. But teaching these skills can be challenging. Luckily, there are some tried and true approaches that parents and caregivers can try to help teens develop healthy emotional skills.
How Can Parents Help?
The first step for parents is to recognize the signs of strong emotional skills. Teens that can identify their feelings, stay calm in stressful situations, resolve conflicts effectively, and see things from another person's perspective are more likely to succeed socially and academically. Take the time to discuss what you notice when your teen is upset or angry, displaying aggression, or shutting down. Ask what they are feeling at the moment and encourage them to identify how their mood has changed over time.
Be a Role Model
Parents are best equipped to teach emotional skills because they model them so well. If parents display self-control, empathy, and honesty, teens are more likely to display these same skills. If parents lose their cool, refuse to consider other points of view or lie, children tend to follow suit. Spend time talking about the emotions you feel and why you feel them (given a situation, person, or event). Try not to shy away from strong feelings like anger and sadness; instead, explain why you feel that way and how you plan to deal with those feelings.
Encourage Activities That Build Emotional Skills
There are a variety of activities kids can do at home or outside the home that will help them build emotional skill sets. Some kids enjoy video games, especially those made specifically for training emotional awareness and regulation. Others may have an easier time when they are engaged in physical activity, like playing sports or getting into nature. While whatever gets them moving is good, there are activities that directly target emotional skills and teens may enjoy doing these more than others.
SEL Lesson Plans
If you're on the hunt for SEL lesson plans, you're in luck because there's a treasure trove of them online. Plenty of platforms offer plans tailored just for high schoolers, and you can even tweak them to match up with those state standards. The key now is picking a platform that feels right and weaving it into your teen's routine—be it daily or weekly. The magic happens when you stick with it long enough for your teen to get comfy and start seeing some wins. Trust me, it's worth the effort!
Does Your Teen Need Outside Help?
If you suspect your teen is struggling with mental health issues, it's important to get them the help they need. There are a variety of treatment options for teens struggling with mental health issues. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is often used to treat depression, anxiety, and anger issues. Dialectical behavioral therapy is another popular type of talk therapy that treats issues like anger management and self-harm.
In conclusion, emotional intelligence is like a secret superpower for teens! It can really boost their relationships and even give them a leg up in school. There are tons of fun activities to help build these skills. If you feel like your teen is having a tough time with mental health, getting the right support is important. Remember, you're not alone in this journey!
1 Comment
very informative and interesting article