✨ What is Self-Awareness? ✨ Part of emotional intelligence is learning to truly know ourselves and it’s rarer than we think. There are actually two types of self-awareness: 💭 Internal – understanding our own thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. 👀 External – seeing ourselves from the perspective of others. For young people, building both is vital. It helps them manage emotions, take ownership of their actions, and grow empathy. For parents, understanding this can be the key to better supporting our teens as they navigate who they are, how they’re seen, and how their environment shapes them. 🌱 When strong emotions hit, we can all practice taking back control: 1️⃣ Stop – notice the emotion 2️⃣ Breathe – slow your mind 3️⃣ Challenge – ask, “Is this a me problem, or a them problem?” 4️⃣ Choose – respond with intention, not reaction 💡 Self-awareness is the foundation for resilience, confidence, and healthy relationships. 👉 What do you find harder: understanding yourself, or understanding how others see you? Share in the comments! #selfawareness #emotionalintelligence #teensupport #parentingteens #lvatrust (fb)

Cheesy results season post incoming….🤪 I was kicked out of school in year 9. I had my first child at 16. Second at 18. Third a week before my 21st birthday. My fourth at 26. Life was chaotic for a while as a traumatised child trying to raise a family the best she could. BUT… At 27 I got my first GCSE in English I got a B (at the time undiagnosed and had no idea I had dyslexia and ADHD). At 28 I got my first ‘it means something to me’ job. On my 30th birthday I got our charity number to LVA which I founded with Sue. At 38 I got level one functional skills maths and then level two functional skills maths, something I thought was impossible, genuinely! Heading to 39 I am now a chartered manager and have a level 7 apprenticeship in leadership. In a few months and by the time I’m 40 I will have a Masters in Business Administration. Who knows what’s next!!! The moral of the story isn’t ’be a teenage parent’ 🤣 the moral of the story is that life isn’t linear. And university straight out of school isn’t for everyone (actually I don’t believe it’s for the majority straight out of school). If you didn’t get the results you needed to go to the university you wanted or even at all. Or if you’ve just done your GCSE’s and didn’t get what you needed. It’s not the end it’s the beginning of a different journey for you. It’s scary but every failure is an opportunity. Every closed door opens another. So wollow for a bit. Scream into your pillow for a bit. Be angry for a bit. BUT then… Go figure out who you are. Find ad hock jobs. Experience adulting hard work let it build character. Find your tribe. Save up if can. Find your passions. Or even try again, if it’s what you really want. You get to choose your next steps. AND Rise like the phoenix you are and show yourself what you’re made of!!!! -Kayleigh Butler, CEO, CMgr, FCMI 😉 (fb)