Lael Stone, parenting expert, author and presenter, tells us we need to practise emotional literacy, and look at our reactions and big emotions with curiosity. Ask things like “why did I react like that?”, or, “why does that person annoy me so much?” Is it because we are not getting our own needs met at this time?
Lael explains that it is very hard to be a calm, connected individual when we are tired, stressed etc. We need to look after ourselves before we can look after others.
Try this …
- Looking back over the last month have you had a time where you had a big reaction to something? What happened? What feelings did you have? What unmet needs can you identify that may have triggered that reaction?
- Commit to doing something for yourself each week this month to make sure your own needs are being met.
In the rest of this episode with Lael Stone, she explains that we all need to be heard and understood, no matter our age. The parenting expert goes into the importance of modelling empathy and compassion in those moments of kids having big emotions, to show them you’re there for them. To listen to more of this episode of the Imperfects, click on this link.
