We know that raising emotionally intelligent kids sets them up for future success. The challenge is that many of us were never taught those skills ourselves.
Growing up, many of us heard phrases like “stop crying,” “calm down,” or “be good.” Over time, those messages taught us to suppress feelings rather than understand them. As adults and parents, we often find ourselves trying to teach emotional skills we never had the chance to learn.
But children today can develop emotional intelligence through everyday interactions with the adults around them. The conversations we have, the questions we ask, and the sense of safety they feel at home all shape how they understand emotions.
After years studying more than 200 parent-child relationships, I’ve found that certain questions consistently help children build emotional awareness, resilience and empathy.
Here are 10 powerful questions parents can ask:
