by Susie Windle | Aug 8, 2012 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions
Empathy—feeling what another person might feel—is an emotional capacity more common in early childhood than during the preceding toddler years. Empathy is one of the important motivators of healthy social behavior that leads to sympathetic responses of concern and...
by Susie Windle | Jul 18, 2012 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions, Your Child's Brain
Most parents know from experience that telling stories can both distract and calm down children. Now there is science to explain how and why stories are so important and powerful. The right side of our brain processes emotions and autobiographical memories. It is our...
by Susie Windle | Feb 8, 2012 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions, Your Child's Brain
Last week we discussed how to connect physical sensations to emotions as one way to help children become more aware of their specific feelings. Being aware of emotions is the first step toward deciding what to do next. Another way to help your kids make connections to...
by Susie Windle | Dec 28, 2011 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions
Sometimes children start to define themselves by momentary feelings. If children feel frustrated or lonely, for example, they can be tempted to generalize this temporary feeling. Instead of saying “I feel frustrated,” they say “I am frustrated.” Instead of saying “I...
by Susie Windle | Nov 30, 2011 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions, Your Child's Brain
Remember “connect and redirect”? Connect to the emotion your child is feeling, and then redirect your child in a way that helps him or her tap a developing ability to think rationally. Connect and redirect is a very helpful strategy for many of those delicate moments...
by Susie Windle | Nov 2, 2011 | Parenting Playbook, Parents: Practice Self Care
As a parent, you will have times when you feel a bit frazzled or on edge. You may notice that your children are getting on your nerves, or you might feel like exploding at something you would normally take in stride. When you recognize in yourself the signs of stress...
by Susie Windle | Oct 26, 2011 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions, Your Child's Brain
The regulation of emotions is one of many developmental processes that children go through. It is interesting to watch children use new strategies as they learn to control their emotions. Language is one of the contributors to improved emotional self-regulation. As...
by Susie Windle | Oct 19, 2011 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, Your Child's Brain
Last week we discussed how understanding the development of the right and left sides of the brain could be beneficial in making choices as a parent. This week, we will discuss the vertical aspect. The lower areas of the brain include the brain stem and the limbic...
by Susie Windle | Oct 12, 2011 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions, Your Child's Brain
The brain, as you probably already know, has two hemispheres. The strength and function of the left side of the brain is organization. The left side is logical and literal, and the left side likes words and putting things in a sequence. The right side of the brain is...
by Susie Windle | Aug 31, 2011 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions, Your Child's Brain
When parents have conversations with their children, it is important for them to reflect on what may be going on in the minds of those involved. Conversations that include attention to mental processes respect each person’s subjective reality. If mental processes are...
