Many years ago, kids in school were called ‘bad boy/ girl’ or ‘not a good child’ when they didn’t comply with the teacher’s instructions or showed signs of tantrums or frustration. Now, we’ve come a long way. Children today are taught to manage their emotions by developing social and emotional learning.
The ideology is that if we need to raise children who are self-aware and conscious, we must teach them to be kind to themselves by mastering their own emotions.
To be aware of oneself
To develop this skill, ask your child calmly about what exactly is wrong when he/ she is upset. Perhaps she is thirsty? Or Tired? Would she rest rather than continue playing? Some kids may be too young to answer this, but over time the awareness to question one’s emotions will start to develop. And this is what will help them be aware of themselves.
To manage oneself
A child who can manage himself can easily handle any stressful situation. This skill can be easily developed by asking kids to think about their day and the various situations they experienced during that day. Its also good to tell kids to find a favourite spot to think through how they felt and this can be their calming zone.
To make their own decisions
Decision making in one of the crucial skills required for life. When a really young child makes a decision, don’t challenge it, even tough it may have some consequences (unless it’s dangerous). Let them make their mistakes and then speak to them about the decision they made. Why did it go wrong? What could you have done better? Is there something that you could have thought about early on? When a slightly older child makes decisions, its good to challenge it. Older children need to get accustomed to their views being challenged in real life. So, your cross-questioning only helps them look at their decision from all directions and helps them defend their point of view.