You’ve probably seen “emotional support” dogs or other pets. They can provide valuable companionship, but the primary role for providing emotional support shouldn’t rest on the shoulders of a well-trained canine. It really rests on the shoulders of a parent. We are the ones, the first responders, who provide emotional support and guidance for our kids.

Emotional growth is progressive, just like physical growth. Kids have emotions very early in life, but they don’t have names for those feelings. When they cry because you leave the room, they don’t know what to call that emotion, but they know how to express it! We are designed to be emotional creatures.

Excerpted from Screen Kids: 5 Skills Every Child Needs in a Tech-Driven World by Gary Chapman and Arlene Pellicane (©2020). Published by Northfield Publishing. Used by permission.