04/12/2025
A developmental researcher, Nancy Eisenberg, has theorized there are three ways in which parents socialize their childrenās emotional competence skills:
Modeling ā showing children what to do through oneās own behavior
Emotion coaching ā talking with and teaching children about emotion and emotion-related behaviors
Reactions to childrenās emotions ā parental reactions to childrenās expressions of emotions
Overall, parentsā general positive emotional expression (e.g., happiness/joy, calm), āsafeā expression of negative emotions (e.g., anger, fear), encouraging reactions to childrenās emotions, and openness to and expertise in talking about emotions, help their children become emotionally competent.
When parents utilize more effective emotion regulation strategies, children tend to learn and use these strategies as well.
Consider the ideal way in which you would like your child to express, understand, and regulate emotions. How can you model, coach, and react to your childrenās emotions in ways that teach them skills of emotional competence?