Activities:

20 minute fun activities for parents and children that promote resilience by encouraging flexible thinking.

Emotional Intelligence Activities for Kids

Navigating Your Child’s Emotional Ups and Downs

Video:

Amygdala Hijack & Emotional Intelligence

How can we build flexibility into every day parenting?

• Involve children in making decisions when possible.
• Inventory the current needs to make a decision based on the present moment.
• don’t get stuck on musts and should’s if something is not working don’t be afraid to change it.
• Trust children to do things for themselves, even if it doesn’t turn out perfectly or quite how you wished it would.
• Have routines for predictability not as a means to reward, punish or control.
• Plan on extra time whenever possible so that special moments don’t have to be lost or abandoned all the time.
• Ask questions and welcome cooperation instead of making demands.
• Take time to care for yourself – you can only give as much love and care to others as you have for yourself! (That’s the elastic thing again – when we give too much we SNAP!)
• Accept your child’s feelings as authentic expression, not something you must control or squash.
• Dare to do things differently, be ridiculous and cultivate laughter – this will help you relax and let go!
• Say YES when you can and say NO with kindness.

Source

Communication:

Improving Family Communications

Parent/Child Communication