When kids are growing up these days, many are faced with emotional and social problems that can be extremely difficult to solve. The article explores some of these issues, as well as what it would look like if children were taught emotional education in school.
What is Emotional Education?
Emotional education is a relatively new but very important field in mental health. It was first developed by the psychologist Dr. Brene Brown and sought to fill the void of a lack in emotional education in schools. In her book, “Daring Greatly,” she discusses the effects that shame has on our lives and how we can heal from it. Instead of focusing on facts, many teachers neglect to teach kids about emotions and how to deal with them therapeutically. Luckily, there are now books like this one that teaches kids about their emotions, letting them know that their feelings are valid, safe, and worth exploring as much as any other feeling in life.
Why teach emotional education in school?
Learning emotional intelligence can be like building a puzzle piece by piece. Through changing the way we teach emotion, we can help kids to understand their feelings, recognize them, and take action on them. The goal of an emotion-based curriculum is to make sure that kids are able to recognize what’s happening inside of them and in the world around them.
What are some of the benefits of teaching emotional education in school?
The benefits of teaching emotional education in school include improving the student’s quality of relationships, reducing bullying and harassment, assisting students with developing a sense of well-being, developing empathy, reducing mental health problems and improving students’ self-esteem.
How to teach emotional education at home
Teaching emotional education at home is an effective way to shape your child from a young age. By identifying the emotions your child is feeling, you can teach them more effective strategies to manage their feelings in the future. Young children need to learn emotional skills like how to manage their emotions and how to express them appropriately. It is important for parents to teach these skills at home in a safe way that respects their developmental level.