🌟 Parenting Insights from “Inside Out”: Step down to Step up! 🌟

Recently, I sat in a movie theater surrounded by teenagers and their parents—a shared experience that rekindled a powerful truth: adolescence isn’t an insurmountable challenge. It’s a phase we can navigate effectively if we shift our roles. From “Masters of the Universe” to “Awesome Allies”: As parents, we often wear the cape of omnipotence. But there comes a pivotal moment when we must step down from that pedestal and become allies—guides who walk alongside our growing children. Remember, parenting isn’t about perfection; it’s about presence. Let’s be allies, nurturing young hearts as they navigate life’s intricate landscape. Sharing some lessons I picked up from
Lessons from “Inside Out”:

1. Each emotion helps: The emotional landscape is intricate. Our instinctive response is often to ‘control.’ Fear mitigates risks, anxiety prioritizes focus, anger fuels decisive action, disgust maintains presentation, envy inspires growth, and embarrassment fosters adaptation. Let’s honor all emotions—they coexist within us
2. Embracing Sadness: Sadness isn’t a weakness; it’s a steppingstone toward self-understanding. Towards joy. Towards feeling good about a situation. Encourage children to express and process feelings. Tears are a healthy release; suppressing them is self-destruction.
3. Mindfulness and Tough Emotions: Complexity grows with age. Fear, anxiety, anger—they all have their purpose. Let’s acknowledge and coexist with emotions mindfully. No emotion is bad or come under the bracket of “control it”, “not good”.
4. Happiness Beyond Joy: True happiness involves understanding emotions deeply. Children should know that it’s not just about laughter/fun/crazy time; it’s about resilience and finding meaning too. Choices may falter, and that’s okay—it’s part of the journey.

Coaching isn’t just about goals, it’s soul tending!

(And now that we are reading this, why not apply some lessons for ourselves)