68. The Parent's Guide to Emotion Coaching

In this episode of The Parent-Teacher Project, host Lucia Garcia sits down with Manal Azzi, school counsellor at Tangara School for Girls and a therapist with over 15 years of experience. Together, they explore how parents can support their children's emotional development, model emotional regulation, and respond constructively to the emotional challenges children face at home and school. Discussion Points: Why Emotions Matter: Emotions are vital for healthy relationships and self-understanding. Ignoring them can lead to future challenges. Emotion Coaching Steps: Notice your child’s emotions, use them as a chance to connect, listen with empathy and validate, help them name the emotion, set limits and find solutions together. What Parents Can Do: Be calm, consistent, and compassionate. Model healthy emotional behaviour and avoid dismissive phrases. Supporting Teens: Teens need non-judgemental support and space to talk. If big emotions are frequent, it may be time to seek professional help. Talking with Boys: Teach emotional language early. Use daily moments to show that feelings are normal and safe to express. Resources Mentioned: • Dr. John Gottman’s Emotion Coaching model • Upcoming TeenSTAR training: Register HERE Join the Conversation We'd love to hear your experiences. What has helped you stay calm and connected when your child is having a meltdown? Have there been moments where simply acknowledging your child’s feelings changed the outcome of a situation? Reflection can often bring clarity, and your insights might be just what another parent needs to hear. Join the conversation with us online. You can comment on our latest post or message us. Let's support one another as we guide our children with compassion and courage. You can:  Follow us on Instagram @growingheartspodcast  Find out more about the Pared Foundation: visit our website  Discover our schools by visiting: pared.edu.au/openday  Remember to hit SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW so you don't miss out on any of our future episodes