Emotional intelligence (EI) helps children express their emotions effectively. To improve a child’s emotional intelligence, there are several things mothers need to understand. Mothers often carry the responsibility of encouraging their children to develop this vital skill.
Emotional intelligence enables children to think differently and overcome challenges. It is also a skill that can be taught from a young age. According to the website RaisingChildren, there are many ways mothers can help enhance their children's emotional intelligence.
What Is Emotional Intelligence in Children?
Emotional intelligence is a child's ability to understand, use, and manage their emotions. It helps children build strong relationships, make decisions, and cope with difficult situations.
Enhancing emotional intelligence also improves how children interact with others, boosts their self-confidence, and supports their personality development. It plays a crucial role in academic performance as well.
The first three years of life are critical for a child’s growth—physically and mentally. During this time, your child is doing more than saying “mama” or taking their first steps. They also begin expressing emotions, observing the feelings of others, and mimicking what you say and do.
However, children at this age may not fully understand which behaviors are right or wrong. This makes it important for parents to know how to nurture emotional intelligence in a healthy way.
Ways to Improve Emotional Intelligence in Children from an Early Age
1. Help Children Recognize Their Emotions
Mothers can encourage their children to talk about the emotions they feel when facing challenges. Ask your child to name their feelings—such as anger, sadness, or jealousy.
Then, ask your child why they feel that way. You can also do the same when your child has a positive experience. This helps them learn how to better manage their emotions and avoid reacting with anger when they don’t get what they want.
2. Practice Reading Others’ Emotions
Watching TV together can be a helpful activity. Turn off the sound during a movie and ask your child to guess what emotions the characters are feeling based on facial expressions and body language.
3. Review Past Reactions
Take time to talk about specific situations and your child’s response. Praise them if they reacted positively. For example, if your child was frustrated with math homework and asked for help, but ended up throwing the book, use the moment to discuss better responses next time.
4. Teach Your Child to Help Others
Group activities build empathy. Ask your child to help with small acts of kindness, such as caring for a sick family member or friend.
You can also encourage your child to take care of a pet. Through this, they can learn to prioritize needs and understand responsibility.
5. Be a Role Model
Children learn best by example. Show them how to express emotions in a socially appropriate way.
Use feelings in your everyday speech. For example:
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“I feel angry when I see kids being rude at the playground.”
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“I feel happy when our friends come over for dinner.”
This helps children learn to identify and communicate emotions constructively.
6. Develop Problem-Solving Skills
Teach your child how to solve problems. For example, if your child is upset because their sibling keeps interrupting them during playtime, help them brainstorm possible solutions.
It doesn’t matter if the solution is perfect—what’s important is that you're encouraging your child to think critically and work through issues.
7. Teach Self-Regulation
Children are easily distracted by things like noise or moving objects. That’s why it’s important to teach them how to regulate their emotions and focus.
For example, if your child is learning to write, tell them they can take a break at 3 o’clock. If they feel tired before then, encourage them to take a deep breath instead of quitting.
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