Grow Your Child’s (or Your Own) Emotional Intelligence

baby with glasses, looking cleverEveryone pretty much agrees on the importance of emotional literacy, at least in theory.

As a society, we want children to learn how to deal with difficult feelings, both their own and others’.

But how exactly do we teach them that? Especially if we ourselves aren’t sure we’ve got a handle on our own emotions?

Emotional intelligence can easily be developed in children because most kids are naturally emotionally intelligent. At least, they’ve got the basics down; kids know an emotion when they feel one, and they’re not ashamed of their own humanity. Read More

Calling All Negative Nellies and Debbie Downers

Debbie DownerThere’s a lot of talk out there about “negative people.” You’re supposed to avoid them.

Cut them out of your life.

“Just Say No” to their negativity.

But what if it’s you?

What if you’re the Eeyore bringing everyone down?

Are you a negative person, or are you simply being realistic?

I wrote a post on this topic this week over on Psychology Today, my home away from home.

Check it out and let me know what you think:

Are You a Debbie Downer? Read More

On Caring What People Think of You

woman with many bagsI have a Google alert set up to fetch every new page on the Internet that contains my book title, Constructive Wallowing.

Usually the automated search will find me quoted in an article that cites the book, which is what I’d expect.

But sometimes it comes up with pages I never dreamed existed.

I recently got a hit on a nonsensical article that resembles something put together by a robot, or maybe a baboon. A robot would have better grammar. Read More

4 Tips for Dealing With Stubborn People

Guy with fingers in earsHave you ever offered perfectly good advice to a loved one and been baffled as to why it fell on deaf ears? I have.

When the best course of action is clear and yet remains ignored by the person who most needs that knowledge, what’s going on?

This week I had the privilege of reading the transcript of a recent address by psychoanalyst Elio Frattaroli, author of one of my favorite books, Healing the Soul in the Age of the Brain. Read More