Tuning In To Kids & Teens
Tuning into Kids and Tuning into Teens are emotion-focused parenting programs. They aim to teach parents and caregivers skills in emotion coaching about recognising, understanding and managing their children’s emotions. When children develop these skills, they can better negotiate life’s ups and downs. This evidence-based program has been studied multiple times with results showing positive outcomes, including improving parenting, parent-child relationships and children’s emotional competence and behaviours. Research has shown that several central skills assist people to respond to emotions in themselves and others associated with better life outcomes. Often called emotional competence in the child development or emotional intelligence, these skills consist of:
- understanding emotions and being able to communicate these with others
- understanding other people’s emotions and being able to identify and interact with others during times of high emotion
- regulating emotions (including reducing, maintaining or intensifying emotions) in a culturally and situationally appropriate way
- the ability to use emotion to achieve one’s goals.
Tuning into Kids is built on the philosophy that human emotions are central to communication and connection, which is enhanced when we can effectively communicate these emotions. All emotions serve a function and provide important information about ourselves and our environment. Emotional connection is central and essential to our well-being and optimises life outcomes.
When children display ‘challenging behaviours, ‘ this is a sign that they are struggling with understanding and regulating emotions and may need our help. When we connect to children’s emotions using empathy/responding in a way that allows them to feel understood – it is calming (sometimes referred to as co-regulation), and this allows children to learn skills in emotional competence. Behaviour problems are often reduced or stopped when emotional acceptance and understanding occur. This has been confirmed in numerous studies.
If you feel that Tuning into Kids or Tuning Into Teens may be helpful for your family – please complete the waiting list form.
