The Role of Parents

  • Long before children can say their first word or take their first step, they respond to the touch, tone of voice, and moods of their parents. This is the beginning of learning about emotions and relationships. It happens as naturally as their bodies grow and develop. 

    Parent holding their child. ‌By working together, schools and parents can promote children's social and emotional learning. Key SEL skills include:

    • Self awareness‌
      Recognizing feelings and managing anger
    • Understanding others
      Developing empathy and taking the perspective of others
    • Making responsible decisions and following through
      Includes considering long-term consequences of actions
    • Understanding yourself
      Handling emotions, setting goals, dealing with obstacles
    • Building healthy relationships
      Saying no to negative peer pressure, working to resolve conflicts constructively

What Can Parents Do?

  • At Home

    Focus on strengths
    Talk about what your child did well before talking about what could be improved.

    Ask Children How They Feel
    This lets your child know that feelings matter and that you care. use feeling words around your child to explain your own emotions.

    Be Willing to Apologize
    This shows your child how important it is to apologize after hurting someone, physically or emotionally.

    Ask Questions That Help Children Solve Problems on their Own
    For example, “What do you think you can do in this situation?” or “What do you think could happen if you made that choice?”

    Read Books and Stories Together
    Stories can help your child explore how people deal with common issues like losing friends or handling conflicts.

    Choose a Few Responsibilities That Your Child Can Do Successfully at Home, and Encourage Them to Help
    This helps them learn cooperation and responsibility.

  • With Your School

    Focus on the Value of Learning
    Ask what your child learned in school today, but also ask how he or she gets along with other students and how he or she feels about school.

    Create a Positive Learning Environment at Home
    Make regular times and provide a quiet, well-lit place for homework. Work with your child to develop rules for dealing with interruptions, such as phone calls or visitors. 

    Set up a School Bulletin Board at Home
    Display the school calendar, newsletters and fliers. Help your child get involved in interesting school activities. 

    Help Your Child Set Priorities for School Work
    If your child is struggling, don’t give them the answers to their assignments, but help them work through their issues. 

    Adopted from "Ten Things You Can Do at Home" and "Ten Things You Can Do with Your School" by the Committee for Children. 
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