Developing Emotional Intelligence (links to Goldie Hawn)

[ClarityR]

Does anyone feel they've lost their confidence as a parent?
As a teacher and mum of 2 teenage boys I really applaud the work Goldie's foundation is doing to help our children to develop confidence and communication skills. I think that our society has changed so much recently and we've lost a lot of the family and community support networks we used to have. As a result we haven't been able to teach our youngsters the personal skills they need to be self-reliant and relate effectively to others in our increasingly pressurised and demanding world. This is my first time on Mumsnet so I don't know if you've already discussed similar issues but I'm interested in people's ideas on the subject as I feel that a generation of children are being let down by
an education system that isn't really preparing them for the harsh realities of life.

SO SO SO agree with you Clarity

I think the no-team, no winners or losers approach from primary now through to secondary is appalling.

If you are taught that no matter how crap your work/behaviour/attitude is there is always a second chance or a hand to hold, it doesn't matter, then Real Life is going to be a helluva shock.

No wonder so many teens/ young adults have depression or can't cope at the first sign if someone being a bit harsh with them!

And don't get me started on manners and bad grammar!

PS -repost this in Chat you'll get a better response, some people hide Locals other than their own!

Research shows the most emotionally intelligent people are con artists. The key is resilience. It means accepting that life can deal you a crap hand but having the skills to cope with it. Most schools have moved away from teaching EI to resilient skills and attitudes. An interesting programme (with links to research) is the Australian 'Bounce Back' programme.