Dr. Dave Schramm – Thrive In Five

Did you know that one of the best things you can do as a parent when your child is experiencing a strong emotion is to hold up an emotional mirror?

When a human experiences a strong emotion, it happens in the back part of our brain, and when it’s intense, it tends to hijack the front part of our brains where we make decisions, pay attention, and think things through.

So a common mistake we tend to make as parents is trying to reason with our child who is scared, angry, or sad. In other words, we’re trying to make them use the front part of their brain when their back part is taking over. So in simple terms, when there are strong emotions, rather than using logic, just listen.

I call it reflecting, or holding up the emotional mirror and reflecting back in words what you are seeing. I’m Dr. Dave, and on today’s Thrive in 5 I’ll share some parenting tips about how to manage meltdowns and tackle tough emotions by holding up an emotional mirror!

Here’s some links to some of the best parenting books on the planet, in my opinion.
First, is John Gottman’s “Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child” https://amzn.to/3407P18

And another favorite that is all about emotions is by the legend himself, the late Dr. Haim Ginott. “Between Parent and Child.” https://amzn.to/3409vrs

And a relatively new favorite for help with little kids is “How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen” by Joanna Faber and Julie King. It really is a must-read for all parents: https://amzn.to/33S5aqv

#mirroringemotions #parentingtips #childpsychology

View original video here.