Its hard to believe that what your child knows at a tender age could influence his future chances of being successful. But that's exactly what a 2015 study published in the "American Journal of Public Health" found.


Research has shown that kids with much more better social and emotional competence growing up, were more likely to have a higher chance of being successful later in life.

For every one-point increase in their social competency scores, they were twice as likely to get a better career.

And don't panic if your child is already past that tender age. You can teach these skills at any time-but it's important to give kids the opportunities to practice using their skills firsthand.

A few tips for teaching children social and emotional skills include but not limited to the following:

1. Label your child's feelings.


Say things like "It looks like you're feeling happy today" or "I can tell you are sad right now." Eventually, your child will learn to verbalize his feelings on his own.

2. Validate your child's feelings.


Resist that urge to say things like "Calm down-it's not a big deal." Instead, say, "I know you're really upset right now."

Regardless of whether you think his emotional response is out of proportion to the situation, teach your child that it's OK to have this feelings.

3. Help your child make empathic emotional faces.


Say, "Make a face that shows me how that boy felt when you hit him." When your child makes a sad or angry face, he'll actually experience that emotion for a moment.

And he'll develop more empathy-which is a key ingredient in social success.

4. Let your child experience uncomfortable emotions.


It's healthy to feel bored, angry, scared, or lonely sometimes. Teach your kids healthy coping strategies to deal with discomfort, and coach your kids as they practice.

With your support, they can learn that uncomfortable emotions are tolerable.

5. Correct the behavior, not the emotion.


Make it clear that angry feelings are OK but aggressive behavior isn't.

And teach your child that it's OK to feel angry but screaming at the top of her lungs in the public isn't OK.

Use discipline that teaches better ways to deal with emotions.

6. Incorporate skill building into your daily life.


Whether your child is four or 14, make mental strength training a part of your daily lives.

By making it a family activity, you'll also sharpen your skills (or perhaps learn some new ones for yourself).

And you'll be giving your child the tools she needs to reach her greatest potential.

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