Emotion Coaching is a research-based method developed by The Gottman Institute that teaches children how to regulate their emotions, which really is more important than researchers originally ever dreamed. It reaches far beyond what was originally thought. For instance you might be interested in knowing as a parent how your kids will turn out as adults. Originally we thought the larger determining factor was IQ, but it turns out it's not; an emotional component referred to as EQ has been shown to play a much greater role. The following excerpt is from Dr. Gottman's program:
When kids have a higher EQ, their
academic work and relationships are both
stronger and more stable.
Key Indicators of How Children Turn Out:
Emotional Regulation: The ability to understand feelings, name them, and regulate them. Children are required to regulate their emotions all the time. For instance, when they are at school and playing hard at recess and the bell rings to come in, they must switch gears, down-regulate their excitement, and focus their attention.
Social Relationships: How children get along with adults, and how they get along with other children. Research looked at children's friendships from age three through the college years, and found that how children make friends, maintain friendships, and why they chose certain friends are all important factors of how well they will do in life.
These dimensions have been called
Emotional Intelligence Quotient.
This EQ is the best predictor of how
children will turn out.
The good news is that the 5-step process of Emotion Coaching is very easy to learn and implement. The better news is that it's never too late to start. One more very positive aspect is that most every one of us already has the learned skills; it's just a matter of applying them in a different context.
If you would like to learn more about how to work with your kids using this research based technique,contact us online, or call the office at 469-225-9040.
References
Gottman, J. M., & Gottman, J. S. (2013). Emotion coaching: The heart of parenting. Seattle, WA: The Gottman Institute.
