Raising Emotionally Intelligent Kids: Simple Tips for Everyday Parenting

Are you equipping your child with the emotional skills they need to thrive in life? Do you know how emotional intelligence can shape your child’s future success and happiness? Come let’s delve deeper to understand better.

What is Emotional Intelligence? Daniel Goleman describes it as understanding and managing your own emotions and influencing the emotions of others. Emotional intelligence is a crucial skill that can significantly impact a child’s success and well-being throughout their life. As parents, fostering emotional intelligence in our children is just as important as academic and physical development. We at Next Generation’s Nation Learning: NGN Learning Social, Emotional, Ethical and Logical Learning(SEEL) thoroughly believe that working on a child’s holistic development should be our number one priority. We believe in fostering emotional intelligence through our nine-skill domain curriculum.

Let’s look at the nine skills to understand our approach better:

1. Self-awareness: Recognising and understanding one’s emotions, strengths, and weaknesses.
2. Self Management: Effectively regulating and controlling one’s emotions, behaviours, and impulses.
3. Positive Childhood: Fostering a nurturing and supportive environment in a child’s early years to promote healthy development.
4. Social Awareness: Perceiving and empathising with the emotions and perspectives of others, as well as understanding social dynamics.
5. Social-Emotional Communication: Expressing and interpreting emotions and feelings through effective verbal and nonverbal communication.
6. Relationship Skills: Building and maintaining healthy, positive relationships with others, characterised by empathy, communication, and collaboration.
7. Cognitive Skills: Mental abilities that include problem-solving, critical thinking, and memory.
8. Problem-Solving Skills: The capacity to identify challenges, analyse situations, and find effective solutions.
9. Responsible Decision-Making Skills: The ability to make thoughtful and ethical choices, considering the consequences of one’s actions.

These skills not only make a child emotionally intelligent but also make them ready to take on any challenge that might come their way. Now let’s explore a few strategies for parents to ensure that they keep nurturing the emotional intelligence of their kids in an engaging way.

1. 1. Lead by Example:
      Children learn best by observing the behaviour of those around them, especially their parents. Therefore, one of the most powerful ways to teach emotional intelligence is by modelling it ourselves. Show empathy, communicate openly about your feelings, and demonstrate healthy ways to cope with stress or conflicts.

Let’s look at how we build on a student’s empathy at NGN Learning (SEEL). Here we encourage our students to put themselves in the shoes of the other person and understand their emotions.

1. 2. Validate Their Feelings:
      It’s essential to create a safe and supportive environment where children feel comfortable expressing their emotions. Validate their feelings by acknowledging and accepting them without judgment. Encourage open communication by actively listening to what they have to say and empathising with their experiences.
   3. Teach Problem-Solving Skills:
      Help your child develop effective problem-solving skills by guiding them through challenging situations. Encourage them to identify their emotions, understand the underlying reasons for their feelings, and brainstorm potential solutions. Encourage critical thinking and creativity by exploring different perspectives and evaluating the consequences of their actions.

Here’s how we encourage our students to self-reflect on their actions and identify areas of improvement through our NGN Learning (SEEL) Tool.

1. 4. Foster Healthy Relationships:
      Social interactions play a significant role in shaping a child’s emotional intelligence. Encourage positive relationships with peers, siblings, and adults by promoting empathy, cooperation, and respect. Teach them to communicate assertively, resolve conflicts peacefully, and recognise the importance of boundaries and consent.
   5. Practice Mindfulness and Self-Regulation:
      Introduce mindfulness practices to help children cultivate self-awareness, self-regulation, and emotional balance. Teach them simple mindfulness exercises such as deep breathing, body scans, or mindful listening to help them manage stress and anxiety.

Raising emotionally intelligent kids requires patience, empathy and compassion. By incorporating these simple tips into your everyday life, you can make your child more emotionally resilient and give them the tools they need to navigate through life’s ups and downs with utmost confidence.

Executive Summary

Subject: Raising Emotionally Intelligent Kids through Next Generation’s Nation Learning: NGN Learning Social, Emotional, Ethical and Logical Learning (SEEL) Program

Dear Parents,

Discover how Next Generation’s Nation Learning: NGN Learning’s Social, Emotional, Ethical and Logical Learning (SEEL) Program can transform your child’s ability to manage emotions and develop essential emotional intelligence skills. Through engaging role-plays, interactive worksheets, hands-on activities, and regular session plan discussions with parents, our students can truly thrive.
To learn more about raising emotionally intelligent children, read our latest blog. Empower your child with the superpower of emotional intelligence and resilience today.

Zaheda Jeewa
Lead Child Developmental Psychologist
Social, Emotional, Ethical, and Logical Learning Department