5 Ways to Teach Kids Emotionally Healthy Behaviors
Success is about more than landing a dream job and having sufficient finances.
Contentment, happiness, and joy are equally important. If we want our kids to have healthy relationships in the future, we have to show them what healthy relationships look like right now. Here are 5 ways you can teach and model emotionally healthy behaviors for your kids.
Practice Active Listening
“Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable”- David Augsburger. This quote always stuck with me, because in some ways, to be heard is to be loved. One of the most important things we can do for our kids is to listen to them, and teach them how to listen to others.
When I say “listen” I don’t mean just hearing someone out while you think about how you’re going to reply. I mean really taking in what they are saying, assuming that there is something you could learn from them, and valuing what they have to say. This is called active listening. When we listen actively to our children, they will not only feel heard and loved, but they will also learn how to listen to others in the same way. You can help your kids practice their listening skills with you, their siblings, or a friend.
“Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable”- David Augsburger.