The Emotional Literacy Bridge

The emotional literacy bridge is the ability for parents as well as their children to effortlessly connect through open and effective communication.

As parents we are always busy and one of the first things that come to our minds is ‘Have you done your homework?”. Rather than starting a conversation with your child on the topic of homework, why don’t you start by asking ‘What did you like in school today?” or ‘What did you do during recess time with your friends?’.

It might take a little readjustment, but this is the best way to start building the emotional literacy bridge between you and your child especially during the window of opportunity years – his or her preschool years.

Below are some positive parenting tips you can do at home.

• Spending time with your child every day – smile when you see your child at home after work,
  read together and play with his/her favourite toys
• Comfort him/her when he she is sick or upset
• Notice what he/she likes and encourage him/her to talk more about it
• Praise your child’s efforts and point out what he/she did that was a good job – For example,
  “You did a good job, you put away your toys”
• Manage your anger – do not flare up in front of him/her, take deep breathes, count to 10, give
  yourself some time out, control yourself
• Learn to read his/her cues, ‘What is she/he thinking and feeling now?”
• These positive parenting tips help build your child’s self-esteem and teach skills for getting along with others.

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