What is it?

• Self-awareness is knowing yourself. It is about knowing your emotions and how they affect your behavior. It is the ability to accurately assess one’s strengths and challenges, with a sense of confidence and optimism.
  • Identifying emotions
  • Accurate self-perception
  • Recognizing strengths
  • Self-confidence
  • Self-efficacy
    
    

Use different words to describe emotions.

Example: Instead of saying ”I’m happy we all get to spend the weekend together,” try using a word like “grateful” or “thankful” or “glad.”

Use books or TV shows to point out emotions to your child.

• Example: When discussing a character in a book that you are reading, you can say, “The character reminds me of you -- people like to talk to her because she is a good listener!” or, “The character reminds me of the time when you were nervous because you didn’t have any of your old friends in your class. Can you relate to the character?”

• Self-management is the ability to control your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations. It is the ability to set and work toward personal and academic goals.
  • Impulse control
  • Stress management
  • Self-discipline
  • Self-motivation
  • Goal-setting
  • Organizational skills

Share your struggles with your child to teach them about resilience.

• Example: “When I was your age, I wasn’t good at sports, but I really wanted to be on the soccer team. I didn’t get chosen the first year, but I practiced and got a spot on the team the next year. What are some goals you want to accomplish?”
  
  

Talk to your child about the process it would take to reach their dreams.

• Example: “If you want to be a doctor, you need to go to college and medical school before you get to help patients. Maybe we should watch some movies about doctors and medicine so you can get an idea of what it’s like.”
  
  

Compliment your child when they succesfully delay gratification.

• Example: “I know you really wanted to watch TV right after school, but it shows a lot of responsibility that you picked up your room first. I’m proud of you for waiting.”

What is it?

• Social awareness is the ability to understand and respect the others’ perspectives, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures. It is the ability to understand social/ethical norms and to recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.
  • Perspective-taking
  • Empathy
  • Appreciating diversity
  • Respect for others
    
    

Talk to your child about how kindness and gratitude are connected.

What is it?

• Having good relationship skills involves the ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse people and groups. It is the ability to communicate clearly, listen well, cooperate with others, resist social pressure, negotiate conflict constructively, and seek and offer help when needed.
  • Communication and social engagement
  • Relationship-building
  • Teamwork
    
    

Talk to your child about the importance of trust in relationships.

• Example: “You should always trust to your friends and expect the same in return. If your friend lied to you, what do you think you should do? Have you ever lied to him? How did you make it better?”
  
  

Practice active listening with your child.

• Example: “You made really good eye contact with me and you seemed to be very interested in what I had to say. People like it when you pay attention as they speak, and that’s why you need to listen actively when others talk. Why do you think listening is important?”
  
  

Provide your child with tools that can help overcome bullying.

• Example: “What would you do if your friend started calling a classmate hurtful names? You can say something like, ‘Our classmate was hurt by what you said. How would you feel if he did that to you? Maybe you should say that you’re sorry.’”

What is it?

• Responsible decision-making involves the ability to identify the impact of your choices on yourself and others. It is the ability to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on ethical standards, safety concerns, and social norms.
  • Identifying problems
  • Analyzing situations
  • Solving problems
  • Evaluating
  • Reflecting
  • Ethical responsibility
    
    

Show your child that you love and support their decisions.

• Example: If they have an issue with a friend, you can say, “Would you like to talk to your friend and ask him what you did to upset him, or would you rather give him some time to cool down? I will support you in whatever you decide.”
  
  

Talk through problems, logical consequences, and resolutions with your child.

• Example: If your child is falling behind on their homework, you can say, “Why don’t you set aside time after dinner to continue working instead of hanging out at your friend Jenny’s house tonight?”