5. Teach Emotional Expression and Self-Reflection.
Emotional regulation begins with recognizing, naming and allowing the healthy expression of emotions. Parents help children better understand their emotions by normalizing emotional responses such as sadness, anger, frustration, disappointment, and guilt, while ensuring a safe space for their emotional expression. Self-reflection is about learning to control emotional responses by seeking healthy outlets that keep the child and others safe from harm. Fostering emotional responses that inspire change, political activism, and counter social injustice without retaliation is essential.
6. Explore Diverse Cultures.
Parents can foster emotional intelligence by intentionally exposing their children to different cultures, viewpoints, and lived experiences. Parents can cultivate learning about people from diverse backgrounds through books, cultural museums, community events, travel, and having conversations with people from different political or social perspectives. Exposure to diverse cultures helps children appreciate differences and develop empathy. Ultimately this will help them navigate the complexities of race, politics and justice with compassion and understanding.
7. Focus on Shared Human Values.
It is crucial that parents emphasize shared human values and basic needs, especially in the current climate focused on division and opposition. Parents can teach their children about basic human rights and shared values of safety, fairness, and respect. Parents can encourage their children to see beyond political or racial divides and develop a deeper sense of human connection through mutual respect and understanding. While we may differ in your views, all humans are deserving of compassion and dignity.
8. Discuss Justice and Fairness.
Parents have the power to nurture their child’s emotional intelligence when it comes to issues of race and politics by discussing justice and fairness. Parents can explain that fairness doesn’t always mean equal treatment because of the historical inequalities that have created barriers to opportunity for marginalized groups of people. Parents can help children foster a deeper awareness of the need for change and the role they can play in creating a more equitable society that is good for all humanity.