By Dr. John Gottman, Lynn Fainsilber Katz, and Carole Hooven
Inspired by the work of Haim Ginott and meta-cognition, the authors show that the way parents feel and talk to children about their emotions is strongly related to their subsequent cognitive, social, and emotional development. They identify two styles of parenting - "Emotion coaching" and "Emotion dismissing" - and present data for a new theoretical model of emotion regulation.
Meta-Emotion links emotion coaching to the child's regulatory physiology, ability to focus attention, and subsequent ability to regulate emotion. The factors that might protect children from the harmful intra-and inter-personal effects of an ailing marriage are also presented. Ultimately, the authors believe that emotion coaching families are able to shield their children from behavior problems ranging from failure at school and in relationships with other children, to increasing aggression and delinquency.