Teaching Mental Comes Before Learning Other Subjects

Been staying at my 2nd cousin’s over the summer up in Mass, & they have 4 children – boy, girl, girl, boy.
Part of staying here’s been helping them out, bc their middle 2 daughters have been in wilderness therapy the past many months, having experienced some self-harm tendencies, & they’re constantly having to make decisions abt their next steps as far as therapy/treatment options – while also considering their 2 boys, & how to keep their spirits “up,” w their sisters away.
Watching them, it’s a lot for parents to handle. 4 kids is a lot in general (so I’m learning ;). But it’s amazing how the parents seem to take everything in stride. They go to their own therapists, & are so even keel, even when stressful moments arise.
But, abt 2 days ago, the youngest child, was flat out acting like a brat, & I finally saw his mom go off on him. He just wasn’t listening, purposely pretending like he couldn’t hear her; doing his own thing after repeated attempts to get his attention. The scene was eerily similar to what you see all the time – a mom going off on their kid.
Abt an hr later, I was doing some work in a separate room, & the mom came down, sat next to me – & actually APOLOGIZED for going off in front of me. I told her she had nothing to apologize for. But, here was the biggest moment: She told me after I’d witnessed what I had, that same son (who they have in therapy as well, to be able to best deal w his sisters being away), came up to her, on his own, gave her a hug, & said: “Mom, I’m sorry I acted that way. With everything going on (w his 2 sisters) I’ve been struggling.” 
As his mom shared that w me, she had a SMILE on her face! Why would a mom smile when she just learned her youngest child was struggling??
It’s bc he communicated, on his own. It’s bc he felt comfortable explaining what he was feeling. It’s bc there was a reason he could give to his actions.
The mom is dealing w therapists, DAILY, yet even to her, 1 of her children opening up & explaining his feelings/actions gave SO much clarity. 
Imagine we could replicate that openness in classrooms? For teachers? With proper tools, we can!