Emotional intelligence isn't taught in a classroom — it's modelled at home. Here's where to begin.
Adolescence is one of the most emotionally intense seasons of life. Hormones, identity, peer pressure, and an evolving sense of self collide — often at the same dinner table.
Emotionally intelligent teenagers are not the ones who never struggle. They are the ones who can name what they feel, sit with it, and respond rather than react.
Three small shifts make a big difference:
1. Name the emotion before solving the problem. "You sound frustrated" lands better than "calm down". 2. Repair after rupture. Apologise when you lose your patience — it teaches accountability. 3. Co-regulate. Your steadiness is contagious. So is your panic.
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