Family Activities

Containing their emotions

Encourage your children to remain calm when angry and speak their arguments rather than resort to yelling. For example, they can try taking some deep breaths or counting to 10 until they can speak calmly.

Expressing their own thoughts and feelings

Let your child know it’s important to convey not just what they are thinking but also what they are feeling. Start sentences with “I feel…” and stress on the importance of describing their thoughts rather than just stating that they are upset.

Identifying and expressing their own interests

Each person in your family has their own wants and needs, let your children know that theirs are valid. Encourage them to articulate when upset (1) what they want and (2) why they want it. The ‘why’ is just as important as the want itself and can help others understand the rationale behind it.

Empathising

As important as your child’s own wants and needs are, explain to them the importance of listening to the interests, wants and needs of others. Understanding the other person’s perspective is the first step towards resolution!

Generating solutions to the problem

Together, run through the fictional scenarios and come up with a few options for resolution. Give your child a topic of conflict and ask them to suggest two ways that would help resolve it successfully.

Negotiating the best possible solution

Use the two options your child came up with above and talk about how to negotiate and select a solution. Discuss the concept of ‘meeting in the middle’ and finding a solution where all parties to a conflict need to give in a little bit on their wishes and accept some of the other person’s ideas.