Learning and Practicing Social-Emotional Skills are not just for Children
Take Pen to Paper: Edition 25
What do you when you are feeling bad? Does the whole day need to be bad?
Think of things that make you happy.
Do a favorite activity.
Help someone.
Go outside.
These are great solutions.
The instructor asked the questions in a Tae Kwon Do class. I was proud that the first solution came from my five-year-old granddaughter. All the participants were children. Their answers impressed me.
I was more impressed by the routine.
The teacher recognized each solution, then expanded on how they could help themselves and others have a better day.
I’ve taken my granddaughter to Tae Kwon Do often enough to know every time the class meets, it starts with a question like the one above. The questions are similar to any you would hear in a social-emotional learning lesson.
Social-emotional skills don't just happen. They are learned and practiced
For children, sources of social-emotional learning may include school, community activities (Tae Kwon Do classes), and home life. Parents can be great role models.
Who reminds adults to use their social-emotional skills?
We all have bad days. We get tired or hungry. Things don’t go our way, or we just have a lot on our minds.
Any of these or all of these can affect our emotions and interactions with others. We need to gently remind ourselves to use our social-emotional skills - a little daily reminder, a conversation with ourselves.
I'm rethinking my conversations with my granddaughter and myself.
7 Days, 7 Thoughts on Gratitude and Good
Even as an educator, I’m amazed at the attention 5-year-olds pay to their Tae Kwon Do instructor (as the above photo shows). 🧘♀️
It’s good to give yourself grace when you have an off day. No one is perfect. You’re allowed to feel emotions. 😥 Remember other people have off days, as well. When you feel slighted by someone, before you react, consider what their day may be like.
Here’s a list of 12 social-emotional practices for you to try. This site is aimed at educators and parents, but remember, what’s good for children is good for adults.
Actress Jenna Ortega’s self-choreographed dance to the song “Goo Goo Muck” went viral for good reason. If you haven’t seen it, you should. The dance is inspired, but what I love even more is the range of emotions expressed on her date’s face. Watch closely and see if you agree. 💃
A quote: “Human mood and well-being are heavily influenced by simple things: Exercise, good sleep, light, being in nature. It’s cheap to experiment with these.” -Connor Barnes, Ideapunk 100 Tips for a Better Life.
I am grateful for my journaling and gratitude habit. It puts me in a positive frame of mind, increasing the chances of a good day. If you want to journal for social-emotional development, a good place to start would be the SEL question prompts found in item #5 of the “12 social-emotional practices” link above. Or check out the questions in this article.
Want to read a scientific approach to how we perceive happiness? This article explains how the brain 🧠 perceives our experiences. Maybe we need the off days to appreciate the good days.
Thank you for reading!
I hope you have a great week. Do you know someone having an off day? Reach out to them or share this post with them. They will appreciate knowing you are thinking of them.
❤
-Susan
Very good comments.
Your granddaughter continues to amaze me. Good role models, I am sure!