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Tackling Tantrums - Raising Emotionally Agile Kids

 

Parenting is a tough job and dealing with a child's tantrums comes with the territory. Most of us would have experienced that embarrassing and cringe-worthy moment when our child/children have a very public meltdown. It takes all our internal resources to avoid getting triggered and help our child calm down and move on to a composed state of mind.

Emotional agility, according to bestselling author-psychologist, Susan David is the ability to adapt to stressful situations with ease and competence.

How we deal with our child's tantrums is the blueprint for how they later handle difficult and stressful times as an adult. However, it is not something that can be taught it is imbibed through attuned parenting.

Being able to deal with our emotions, the good, bad and the ugly is the single most important factor that influences every aspect of our life. And teaching, no allowing our child space and opportunity to feel their emotions powerfully impact their sense of well-being and confidence.

How does one become emotionally agile? Is it different from emotional intelligence?

Validating Your Child's Emotions

In her illuminating book, Keeping Your Child in Mind, Dr. Claudia Gold shares 4  crucial ways parents need to address a child's tantrum and diffuse an explosive situation:

  1. Understanding a child's behavior from the perspective of his stage of development
  2. Empathizing with a child's feelings
  3. Containing and regulating both the feeling and behavior
  4. The most difficult, staying present with a child without letting one's own distress get in the way.

 

Emotional Agility: Power of emotional courage | Susan David

 

Read more on raising emotionally agile kids

 

 

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