Colman Noctor: Our education system needs to value emotional intelligence  

The focus on performance encourages children to create value systems around ‘what I can do’ instead of ‘who I am’

Picture: iStock 

The message ‘It’s OK to not be OK’ is important for children to hear, but we must also include a disclaimer that it is ‘OK to be OK’ too. The ideal is for young people to develop resilience, so they can negotiate most of life’s challenges, but also an openness about asking for help if it is required.

Striking this balance is often a challenge. How do I help my child to be assertive without being arrogant, or how can I help my child to be compassionate without being a pushover?