In this episode of the Love Your Life Show, I teach one of the most important relationship skills we were never taught: emotional validation. If you often feel the urge to fix, explain, or make things better when someone you love is struggling, this episode is for you. I have found that in learning the skills of emotional validation and emotional intelligence, the people I love (my kids, my husband, my friends, etc) feel so much more love from me. Versus, when I didn’t know these skills, our conversations and my efforts to support were wonky and they were left feeling disconnected, or worse, incompetent or shamed. Learning how to validate is how we support others without taking on their emotions or trying to change their experience, and it will change your parenting, marriage, and every close relationship you have. This episode builds directly on last week’s conversation about emotional regulation. When you can stay calm inside yourself while someone else is having big feelings, validation becomes possible. I explain what emotional validation actually is, what it is not, and why validation does not mean agreement, approval, or fixing the problem. We talk about why emotions need soothing, not solving, how to stop minimizing or invalidating feelings without realizing it, and what to say when you want someone to feel seen, heard, and supported. I share practical phrases you can use with your kids, your partner, and the people you care about most, along with guidance on how to stay present without overfunctioning or taking responsibility for someone else’s emotions. If you are a parent, partner, helper, or chronic fixer, this episode will help you build healthier emotional boundaries, deeper connection, and more emotionally safe relationships. Spoiler Alert: When they feel better in relationship with you, YOU feel better too! 💕 🎧 If you liked this episode, you’ll like this one: Emotional Intelligence on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/12-emotional-intelligence-101/id1434429161?i=1000422477973 Emotional Intelligence on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/3GWK2i77mU4zmwwAVd3tc4?si=VNiD8j76QOyX6nW-kNRVWg 📩 Don’t miss out: Get weekly wellness tips straight to your inbox: Get the weekly newsletter here: https://SMBwell.com/newsletter ⭐️See if Coach Susie has room on her one-on-one schedule for you: https://smb.as.me/ 🤓FIRST TIME LISTENER? Grab the PODCAST ROADMAP with the foundations of emotional intelligence and mental wellness here: https://SMBwell.com/roadmap 👩🏼🎓The Love Your Life School Membership-http://theLoveYourLifeSchool.com 🙌🏾 Buy Susie’s a coffee (and support small business and Susie’s mission): https://patreon.com/susiepettit 🙏🏾 🩷Let’s be friends on Instagram-https://instagram.com/smb.wellness 🌟Get the full show notes here👉🏾 https://SMBwell.com/395 The post Emotional Validation: How to Support Without Fixing in Parenting and Relationships appeared first on Susie Pettit.
