Teaching Children to Manage Their Emotions video series

Helping Kids Take Responsibility for Negative Behaviour

In this video, Cherilyn Orr explains how parents can teach by example, modelling how they take personal responsibility for their negative reactions by showing remorse and asking forgiveness. But it’s not just a personal issue; the culture in the home needs to be one where keeping the whole family in green becomes everyone’s goal and responsibility.

Get more out of this series!

After watching video four, consider taking these steps to get the most out of this part of the series:

// Step 1

Read and meditate on these Scripture verses: “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ” (Colossians 3:12-14 ESV)

// Step 2

Answer these discussion questions:

1. In your home, do you approach managing emotions well as an individual issue or as something that involves the whole family?
2. Cherilyn mentioned her family’s mission statement. How might having your own mission statement about respecting and supporting others benefit your family?
3. How could you help yourself and your children shift your focus away from guilt over failures and instead focus on restoring relationships and making progress in “growing in green” together?

// Step 3

Spend time in prayer:

Dear Lord,
It’s humbling, and sometimes even difficult, to admit our failings to our children; we forget that they are well aware of our mistakes anyways!
Thank you that you have wired our children to be eager to forgive us; you’ve given them a deep desire to be in close relationship to us and that loving heart in them is so precious.
It’s so important that our children learn how to freely discuss hurts that arise in relationships. So please help us to get comfortable with discussing our own mistakes with our kids.
And please give us wisdom as we lead our kids, by example, in teaching them how to smooth over hurts, restore damaged relationships, and behave better in the future.
As our whole family seeks to help one another “grow in green,” may we all be encouraged to see the fruit of your Holy Spirit becoming ever more apparent in our home.
Amen.

// Step 4

Read the article “Why moms who struggle with anger need to be brave” for help with resolving hidden issues that can contribute to habitual anger and frustration.

// Step 5

Read the article “Teaching self-control: Coaching your child in constructive reactions” for ideas on building self-awareness in children and teaching them how to repair relationships.