3 Parent Tips: Be Playful, Stay Connected, Learn How To Handle Stress
PCA National Advisory Board Member Dacher Keltner is a Psychology Professor and the Director of the Greater Good Science Center (@GreaterGoodSC) at UC-Berkeley. Keltner is most famous in the sports world for his study on NBA teams, when he identified a link between positive, supportive ‘touching’ (such as high-fives) and success on the court. Keltner is also a published author, most recently publishing The Power Paradox.
Here, Keltner shares what research, science, and his own experience taught him about parenting that are useful tips for any parent:
1) Be playful. Parenting can be a serious job, but that doesn't mean you can't play around with your kids. Keltner recommends that parents "take things more lightly," and that sports can teach that.
2) Stay connected. Not only do you want to know what's going on in your kids live, but it's also important to help stay connected to them through touch and other ways, not just by talking with them.
3) Learn how to handle stress. According to research, kids and parents are more stressed out then they were 30 years ago, but it's important to learn to breath and embrace difficult moments and challenges.
To Keltner, these principles cannot just be helpful for sports parents, but parents in any walk of life.