A guide to Fostering Emotional Intelligence (EQ) for Your Child

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence, also known as emotional quotient (EQ), is crucial for resolving social conflicts and vital for empathizing with others in their moments of distress. It is the ability to control and manage your own emotions in response to others’ psychological behaviors. Thus, its presence in a human’s personality is necessary for conveying peace, optimism, and hope in society.

Significance of Emotional Intelligence

 Undoubtedly, many renowned psychologists ranked EQ over IQ. Factually, it is the EQ that helps you develop strong communication and leadership skills. No doubt, with a weak EQ level, your IQ is going to be counted nowhere in the world.

Daniel Goleman, a famous psychologist once quoted:

"If your emotional abilities aren't in hand if you don't have self-awareness, if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can't have empathy and effective relationships, then no matter how smart you are, you are not going any far."

The strengthening of emotional intelligence is far more important in developing a strong personality, able to cope with multiple circumstances of life. Typically, a high EQ level evokes the emergence of the following skills in a human being:

1. Self-awareness
2. Great communication skills
3. Leadership qualities
4. Empathy
5. Vision for life

In short, these are the qualities that lead to a successful and satisfactory life.

Understanding the Learning Abilities of a Child

Undoubtedly, children are in their learning age. They are consistently adapting and transforming their behavioral characteristics. In contrast to adults, they swiftly learn new things. Certainly, it is the best time to inculcate the significance of EQ in their minds.

 Remember EQ is crucial in maturing their thoughts and behaviors. It is the only way to ensure their success and contentment in their lives. 

The following list comprises major areas where a strong EQ can help your beloved children:

• Eradication of anxiety
• Relief from depression
• Building strong communication with people
• Offering solutions to various problems
• Having empathy for others
• Understanding of emotional behaviors
• Leading others to a happy life
• Finding and creating new ways in difficult situations
• Understanding their psychology 
• Resolving family conflicts
• Resolving societal conflicts
• Developing an influencing personality

For parents, it is essential to pay heed to the strengthening of their child’s emotional quotient. Typically, it is observed that people emphasize the escalation of their child’s IQ but ignore the portion of EQ. Though, the development of both is necessary and runs side by side.

How to develop emotional intelligence in your child?

Now the question arises how to develop your child's emotional intelligence? While parenting, this question holds a significant position. Therefore, don't take it lightly and concentrate on developing the following traits in your child:

1. Self-awareness
2. Emotional expression
3. Handling and resolving own’s problems
4. Handling and resolving other’s problems

1. Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is extremely important to help oneself get out of a particular situation. Help your child in this regard and assist him in recognizing his emotions and naming them like rage, jealousy, hatred, disappointment, merriment, and so on. When your child is aware of his inner feelings and emotional behaviors, only then he can exactly justify his reaction in that peculiar circumstance.

2. Emotional Expression

Let your child express emotionally. Be a friend to him and grant him as much confidence as you can. Listen to him and ensure him that you are always at his back. Whatever the situation will be, you are always standing behind him, supporting and encouraging him. Build a firm friendship with your kids, so that they never be reluctant in sharing any situation with you. Show your trust in them and educate them by relating your personal stories. Strengthen your parent-child bonding and they will ultimately tell you what they are going and feeling through. Don’t forget to say them that it is quite natural to feel that way. 

Try your best to understand them and show them the best possible directions, relieving their stress and anxiety.

3. Handling and Resolving Their Problems

Allow your child to resolve his issues by himself. Ensure your presence and support at the time of need, give him the best pieces of advice, and show him all possible directions, but let him find the solutions by himself.

In case he discusses any matter with you then at first question him about the solutions he thinks. Appreciate his point of view and suggest him best ways you can. Illustrate your personal experiences in the form of a story and tell him how you dealt with your problems. No doubt, this method can broaden his perceiving angles and can aid him in paving his paths by himself.

4. Handling and Resolving Other’s Issues

Appreciate your child’s involvement in your domestic matters. Ask him for the solutions to your matters. Respect his perspective and suggestions on minor issues. Compel him to actively participate in daily life’s common chores.

Pat his back on resolving his friend's and siblings’ conflicts. Take his point on all current societal issues. Develop morality in him and always encourage him for showing empathy for others. Always teach him to go for the well-being of humans in the best possible ways.

Conclusion

By understanding the mind of a child, undoubtedly, we can raise it for benefiting our society. Children need reliance from their parents. Certainly, suppression of their ideas, emotions, and thoughts can demolish their personalities. Good parenting skill demands acknowledgment and appreciation of their child. Let him grow and shine and always support him by showing the best possible direction. Highly emotionally intelligent children are the utmost need of the current era. They are indeed the twinkling stars leading to the flourishing future of our depressive and anxious society.

About The Author:

Ayesha Noor

Content Developer at Emanac Inc.

Email: ayeeshanoor324@gmail.com