Giving kids - and judges - an emotional GPS

Teaching life lessons pays off later

May 29, 2009
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Submitted by: Paula Schwed
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 New York Times Columnist David Brooks debunks the idea that decisionmaking should be a rational and not an emotional process in discussing the search for a Supreme Court justice with empathy. Says Brooks: "People without emotions cannot make sensible decisions because they don't know how much anything is worth." He calls emotions "the guidance signals - like from a GPS" - that help us find solutions. Teaching these life lessons at an early age is crucial. By developing social and emotional smarts, we give kids the navigational tools to recognize when their feelings are, as Brooks says, "a wise guide or a dangerous deceiver."

Related topics: how to teach life lessons to kids, David Brooks' column, what is emotional intelligence

Visit WINGS: Learn more about developing empathy and other social and emotional skills

Let your emotions be your guide

On June 10th, 2009 Nicole Lovecchio says:
Each year of WINGS, the very first social skills lesson is focused on emotions. Being able to name emotions, realize how they feel inside of you, and then how to best handle those emotions. I find that is the foundation of what we teach. Without knowing how you feel and how to handle those feelings, it's impossible to teach kids how to form positive relationships with others, make good decisions, or behave well. Although I agree that when make choices, you should be logical and rational, I believe that in order to make a logical and rational decision depends on both the emotions within yourself as well as the emotions in others. People seem to only focus on the result of their choices, (did something good happen, or something bad?) but in order to get to that result, you need to determine, do you (or the people affected by your decision) feel good or bad once the choice is made? It can't happen without recognizing how you feel! Become self-aware and let your emotions be your guide. Nicole Lovecchio Program Director WINGS @ Chicora Elementary

I love it! All of our WINGS

On June 4th, 2009 Bridget Laird says:

I love it! All of our WINGS kids will leave with their own emotional GPS because of their participation in our social skills activities. 

I actually had an experience this week with my daughter and I feel like it helped build her emotional GPS.  She kept saying she was hungry and that her stomach hurt as we rode to summer camp. But after talking for awhile, we both came to the conclusion that her stomach hurt because she was nervous and anxious about camp.  First we talked about what those words meant and then we talk about what she can do when she feels them so she can relax and have a fun day. It was an amazing conversation to have with a four year old! Now, when those feelings return around the start of kindergarten she will now what to do and better yet she will know how to help her friends so they too can relax and enjoy school!

 

Bridget Laird