Emotions are one thing that many of us have trouble with. Whether we have trouble identifying our own emotions, controlling your emotions, or understanding others’ emotions, they are something we have to deal with daily. Emotional intelligence, also known as emotional quotient (EQ), is defined by Huffington Post as a “person’s ability to identify, evaluate, control and express emotions.”
This is what gives us the ability to interact with others and be able to handle social situations better. The Huffington Post even mentions a psychologist and author, Daniel Goleman, who argued that EQ is more important when it comes to measuring a person’s success than intelligence quotient (IQ). The thought behind this is that even though someone has a very high IQ doesn’t mean they will be successful, especially if they have a low EQ. People need to be able to bond and have the social skills to get along with others and create those situations that can help lead them to success.
That is why we are talking about EQ today! Emotional intelligence is something that can be learned and teaching your children about emotions at an early age can help them develop a stronger EQ, even in adulthood. This is one thing that will help your kid throughout their entire life, and we know we say that a lot, but this really is something you can do to make their life better.
At Yellow Brick Road Early Childhood Development Center, we help your children develop their emotional skills and social skills, allowing them to have a higher EQ as they carry on to the next chapters in their lives. While some children are more in tune with emotions and social situations instinctively, others may have trouble and need your assistance to teach them. Whether your child seems more in touch with their emotions or they need help learning emotional intelligence, it is important that their EQs are nurtured and you support their emotional needs.
In this blog, we are going to give you tips to help you teach your kiddos emotional intelligence and help them build a stronger EQ. Read on and start working with your children today! Learning emotional intelligence can help your children thrive in the future.
Help Your Child Recognize Emotions
Emotions are weird. They are something most of us are born with, without having to be taught how to feel. However, we may not know why we are feeling this way and how to react to it. Start by teaching your children what emotions they are feeling, giving them a name, and explaining them. If your kiddo is feeling disappointed that they didn’t get to play at the playground, explain to them that this is what they are feeling.
Ask them to describe their feelings to you or draw a picture to represent what they are feeling. Explain to them that this emotion they are feeling has a name. Doing this often will allow them to realize their emotions and recognize them when they start to feel upset and nervous. The Huffington Post article gave one good example of how to do this. Using one of those charts that shows different emotional faces, have your child to pick the one that they think represents them and ask them to explain what made them feel this way.
Show Emotion
Talking to your children about your own emotions is a great way to help them understand. Remember, children learn a lot from watching others. Tell your child what emotions you are feeling and why. Make sure you talk about positive and negative emotions. Don’t just talk about them when they are strong and obvious. If you are feeling slightly sad one day, but not enough for your child to notice, tell them how you’re feeling, why, and how you are going to overcome that emotion. Explaining to your children that getting over your frustrations or anger is a good way to feel better and move on. It is hard sometimes, but doing this can help them learn to not hold grudges.
Teach Them to Recognize Others Emotions
When your child knows how to recognize their own emotions, they will be able to recognize it in another person. Everywhere you go, ask them if they notice any emotions and can tell how someone is feeling. Once they are able to recognize and identify other people’s emotions, they will be able to understand the next step better!
Teach Them Empathy
Empathy is one of the most important things you can teach your child about emotions and socializing. Being able to empathize with others can help your child understand emotions. When they understand their own emotions and why they act the way they do, they will be able to look at other people and understand why they are acting that way and how they are feeling. Being able to empathize is important in social situations and can help your child have a better EQ.
Let Them Know They Are Allowed to Feel
So many people try to shut down certain emotions. We are allowed to smile and laugh in public, but once a tear is shed, suddenly everyone feels awkward and doesn’t know how to deal with them. Let your child know that feeling emotions is normal and they should feel comfortable feeling all of these emotions. They are allowed to feel frustrated, sad, overwhelmed, anxious, and every other emotion. Teach them how to deal with these emotions properly as well. But make sure they know emotions are okay to feel. The Pixar movie, Inside Out, does a good job at showing this. Watch this movie with your children and let them enjoy it, after explaining to them that all the emotions play an important part in our lives and in who we are. Emotions work together to help us become who we are and learn from different situations. This is important for your children to know.
Teach Them How to Manage
We have touched on this a little already, but teaching your kiddos how to manage their emotions can help their EQ and allow them to better deal with social situations and how they are feeling. You could do this by telling them how you deal with emotions or let them find their own way. If they are feeling angry, ask them if they need some time alone, if they need to take a break from what they were doing, or what they can do to blow off steam and relax. Many adults do not know how to deal with emotions, which can become a huge problem or leave them bottling these emotions up.
Emotional intelligence is an important thing for your children (and you) to learn in order for them to be successful and able to handle social situations better. It is not difficult to teach your children about their emotions and help them learn more about them, but it is important to teach them. Be open about emotions and help your kiddos deal with them.
At Yellow Brick Road Early Childhood Development Center, we will also help your child with their emotional skill and intelligence, but you are the main source of their emotional education. Hopefully, these tips helped give you a place to start! Learn more about Yellow Brick Road and contact us today or schedule a tour online!