Problem Solving

Have you ever thought about problem solving in life, similar to problem solving in mathematics? I used to tell my children, "If you don't have the tools for math, which are memorizing math facts, knowing times tables, memorizing Prime numbers; then it is very difficult to problem solve and you won't love math!" But if you learn the building blocks, everything will come easy and you just have to learn the proper method for solving more complex problems in algebra. Easy formulas such as parenthesis, exponents, multiplication, division, addition and subtraction, (Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally) are prerequisites for more advanced mathematics.

The same thing is true for emotions and relationships. You need the building blocks to solve relationship problems, or to learn how to discuss things properly so they don't turn into problems. Understanding your emotions and being able to identify them is important in communication. Expressing big feelings isn't enough of a definition for how another person is feeling. To identify the difference between sad, angry, disappointed, frustrated, confused, joyful, happy and satisfied, will help in developing commuication skills that are good problem solvers.


For a person to express tears of emotion and be able to say "I feel so disappointed that I did that", it can lead a parent to take that conversation to the next level and talk about the disappointment as well as how to express it without causing harm to ones self or another. A parent can come alongside in that moment and be encouraging to try again and offer solutions for what to do next. If a child is joyful, a parent can name the emotion to teach the child what it is they may be feeling.

Teaching our children what each word means and how to identify each emotion gives our children the tools they need to solve problems. We can be active in helping them identify the words and their meanings. Without the vocabulary and understanding of emotions, we may just get a lot of unwanted, misunderstood behaviors.

This isn't just for children, but for adults also and it works across the board in all situations. So be a problem solver, solution finder, encourager, and good communicator! If you do your homework in memorizing the building blocks, it will be rewarding in improving relationships!