Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand, manage, and express one's emotions in a healthy and constructive way. It's a crucial skill that impacts a child's self-esteem, relationships, and overall well-being.
As parents, we can encourage emotional intelligence by validating our child's emotions. Instead of dismissing their feelings, acknowledge them. Let your child know that it's okay to feel what they're feeling.
For example, Carol was recently at a homeschooling movie day event with her granddaughter and a group of other homeschoolers. Some of the scenes were emotional invoking strong feelings for some of the children. The children already had an emotional connection to this movie, as they had previously read The Wild Robot together. There were tears shed. All the parents were very supportive allowing the children to continue watching the movie and expressing their feelings. This is how they learn, process, and become in touch with their emotions.
Just by being around your children they witness and are emotionally involved in your reactions to any situation.
Be sure to model emotional intelligence in your own behavior. Show your child how you manage your emotions just by being you.
This can be as simple as saying, "I'm feeling frustrated right now, so I'm going to stop and take a few deep breaths to calm down." It’s always good to take a time out, take a few deep breaths, step away, and reassess the situation before reacting.
“I’m really angry right now, so I’m going to shake, shake, shake, and get all this anger out of my body so I can calm down.”
These are a few techniques you can utilize when teaching your child how to manage their emotions. It helps them stop, get centered, and refocus, bringing them back to the present moment. We taught our children these life skills. To this day, they still use these skills as grown adults plus many more.
Teach your child to identify and name their emotions. This can help them better understand what they're feeling and why. Over time, this will equip them with the skills to navigate their emotions in a healthy and constructive way.
Parenting is a journey, not a destination. And every journey has its challenges and rewards that last a lifetime.
As you navigate this path with your child, or grown adult children, remember building a deep connection, fostering trust, and encouraging emotional intelligence are key components to raising a happy, healthy, functioning adult.
Even with grown adult children, these skills carry on throughout their lives and your lives together. If that deep connection or their trust is lost as adults we may not get to be in their lives. Let’s not forget, that they will have a mind of their own, ideas of their own, and thoughts of their own as they should. Because our job is to raise free-thinking, functioning, human beings. Remember, their choices and behavior might not always match up with their parents.
Our intention when we were raising our children was for them to become healthy (mind, body & soul) grown adults with the skills we have encouraged so they can make it on their own.
It’s always their choice whether they choose to utilize the tools you taught them or not.
These practices will strengthen your relationship with your child and equip them with the skills and resilience to navigate life's ups and downs.
So, grab your child's hand and continue down the path together, guiding them toward a future filled with confidence, capability, compassion, and love.
As we’ve said before, encourage open communication. Let your child know that they can talk to you about anything, without fear of judgment or punishment. This creates a safe space for them to express their thoughts and feelings, enhancing your connection.
If you missed our last article be sure to read Intentional Conscious Parenting: Inspiring and Nurturing Connection and Inspiring and Nurturing Trust.
Thank you for joining us in supporting the inner light of the children,
Carol Lawrence and Stacy Toten
Would you love to have more support? Sign up for Carol's Intuitive conscious parenting coaching.
More Intentional Conscious Resources.
"The perfect addition to your conscious parenting toolbox. This book bridges the gap for those seeking to shift from traditional parenting to a more mindful present approach." ~ Dr. Shefali Tsabary, Author and Clinical Psychologist
Our children's card deck serves as an introduction to affirmations and positive self-talk.
Perfect tools to teach little ones (ages 2 - adult) how to talk and think positively to themselves starting an early practice of positive self-talk.
We encourage parents to read affirmations and books to their babies while in the womb and begin adding to their intentional conscious parenting toolbox as their child grows.
Our cards are designed to instill and empower your child with a technique that can become a lifelong tool for building confidence and positivity.
Use all thirty cards to create a daily/nightly routine where you pick a card together and talk about what it means, stimulating being present with each other while having heart-to-heart conversations and reciting positive affirmations. These are even more powerful when stated looking at oneself in the mirror. As your child gets older you could even have them practice writing them down. Great for home or school.
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