Where is Your Child Learning their Social-Emotional Skills?

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.

They all came from the participants 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.

Sources of social-emotional learning may include school, community activities (Tae Kwon Do classes), and home life.

When my children were young, I don’t remember having conversations with them about how to turn around a bad day.

Shouldn't the primary source of social-emotional lessons be at home with parents as role models?

I'm rethinking my conversations with my granddaughter.