Emotional Literacy Ensures Success

In an interview with Inside Optimist TV, Pia Allerslev, former mayor of Children and Youth Denmark, said: "I think that for most Danish parents it is at least as important to make sure their children have the right social skills as they are academically".

In most schools in Denmark, if intimidating or threatening behavior arises within the classroom, the teacher can stop the class and focus on solving the problem with the children, ensuring that all classmates are part of the solution. In addition, children between the ages of 6 and 16 have one hour a week in which their empathy and ability to care for others develop.

Pia Allerslev told the source that she was initially very stressed out worrying when children were going to learn to read and write from spending so much time on empathy. However, she assures that today her academic skills are high.

"When you are comfortable, when you are confident, when you are not stressed, and when there is no bullying, you will get better results," emphasizes Allerslev.

Taking time to empathize helps children become aware of all the things they can do and helps them understand their role in a social setting, in this case, the classroom.

The expert emphasizes that having social skills is as fundamental as having academic skills. This is what children are taught in school. However, Danish parents also focus on empathy at home.

Also read: Achieving Guidelines for Raising Successful Children

Teachers help develop the community that the class represents. The focus is on individual behavior and what is appropriate for the group, and this is how they build emotional literacy.

Teaching empathy is considered as important as teaching math or literature in Danish schools. "If students don't have their feet on the ground, they can't be taught," Allerslev points out.

Thanks to teaching empathy, Danes tend to work well together as a team, and this is important because children develop sensitivity and care for other people.

"It gives you pleasure, in the end, to know that you also lift others up," says Allerslev.

Johannes Poscharnig, president of the International Academy of Social Skills, insists on the importance of social skills in raising successful children. He says that many children struggle to manage themselves under the pressure of the modern world. "Social skills training marks the path to success," he says.

Almost all children face a lack of self-confidence. Others face the feeling of not being good enough. Many experience high levels of stress while trying to get the best possible grades or get anxious before tests, presentations, or interviews. But it shouldn't be like that.

Children should feel confident, handle stress, have the skills to communicate assertively with others in every situation, and present themselves well when necessary.

Creating safe spaces where children can express themselves and feel heard and appreciated will allow them to feel more comfortable in school and perform better academically. The Danish education system is an excellent example of strong training that will allow students to learn to be a harmonious part of society.