Developing emotional intelligence at home is essential for children to learn to channel their emotions and acquire the skills necessary for the 21st century.
What is emotional intelligence?
It refers to the ability to know, discriminate and manage one’s own and others’ emotions, and integrate that knowledge at the level of thought and behavior. Emotional intelligence can be educated and enhanced, and is easily incorporated through observing patterns in the environment (and reference adults).
Emotional intelligence develops in girls and boys from the earliest stages. We are social beings and, as such, we are born in an environment and in a bond with the people who have brought us into the world and / or who are in charge of our education. The words, the looks, the songs, the hugs, the caresses … all this shapes the emotional world and the bond of the baby, and satisfying those affective needs is as important as the purely physiological needs. Talk and consider each baby as a unique being, with their own preferences, tastes and needs. That is why we educate emotional intelligence all the time, even before they are born (talk to him when he is in the gut, imagine what his face will be like, choose a name for him that is special and has meaning.
To develop emotional intelligence in children, the 7 fundamental aspects that compose it must be taken into account. The application of each of them together gives the child the necessary tools to control his feelings and develop self-confidence.
- Self-awareness or self-awareness
It is important that the child has full knowledge of himself. We must help you learn about your strengths and weaknesses so that you gain self-confidence and have greater self-criticism. Reinforcing this aspect will help you make better decisions in the future and not be guided only by your emotions.
- Self-regulation
Eliminating feelings of anger or frustration in children is impossible. However, we can help them regulate these states of nervousness or impulsiveness by creating greater serenity in them. This quality can help children create tools for their future that allow them to better manage their decisions, for example, thinking before acting.
- Motivation
Motivation is essential for the little ones to achieve the goals they have in their lives. Working in this area helps them acquire tenacity, enthusiasm, perseverance and even tolerance for frustrations. In this way, they achieve greater productivity and efficiency for their professional future.
- Social skills
Social skills are closely related to empathy, since it is essential to understand the emotions of the people around us to know how to act. By working on this aspect, the child manages to interact appropriately and a greater capacity for assertiveness.
- Games
Play is essential for emotional development. The ideal is to promote those where there is not always a winner and a loser; but a shared learning Those who stimulate creativity, innovation and collaboration are ideal for them to learn about emotional intelligence while playing. The integration of adults in recreational moments with children will allow both parties to enjoy exploring their emotions.
- Positive conversations.
Beyond family problems and difficult situations, it is important that adults encourage dialogue about positive aspects; They can even apply the lessons learned from the mistakes and failures of children and adults, and analyze together how they did it, turning those events into a virtuous process of growth. Remember: “children don’t understand anything” is a mistake, as they perceive and process, perhaps silently, many of the things they see in adults and can mark them forever. The appropriate thing is to dialogue and express.
