Parents always hope that their child will be academically successful, and that their intellectual accomplishments will lead to professional achievements down the road. But perhaps you’re interested in cultivating your child’s emotional intelligence, too. Today, emotional intelligence is often known as “EQ.” Although this quality is often overlooked, it is just as important as raw intellect and work ethic.
Someone’s emotional intelligence describes their ability to relate to other people, practice empathy, and forge strong, healthy, and mutually beneficial connections that last for the long haul. Helping your child boost their EQ is a long-term project! Here’s how to help your child develop a high EQ that will serve them well in adulthood.
Model the Behaviors You Want to See
If you want your child to have a strong sense of emotional intelligence, you need to demonstrate what this looks like in action. Children primarily learn through imitation. Therefore, if you want your child to have a high EQ, you need to put these principles into practice in your own life!
It’s important to illustrate emotional regulation, display a willingness to share your feelings openly when appropriate, and treat your friends and relatives with respect. For example, it can be tempting to gossip about relatives when your child is within earshot. But if they hear you doing it, they’ll eventually start doing the same thing.
Identify Emotions
For children, experiencing big, intense emotions can feel slightly scary. They don’t have much agency. Additionally, they do not know how to express themselves. It’s only natural that this can lead to crying, tantrums, and acting out.
But as a parent, you can help your child identify their emotions so that these intense feelings don’t seem so intimidating. Let your child talk about their feelings. Try giving them names so that they can recognize these emotions and get better at coping with them in the future.
Teach Healthy Coping Skills
Healthy coping skills are an important aspect of EQ. Support your child when they’re trying to figure out how to handle sadness, anger, and anxiety.
You might want to go over how they can share these feelings with you, how they can talk to other people when their feelings were hurt, and how they can calm themselves down if they feel stressed or anxious. These skills can form an emotional “toolkit” that your child can always turn to.
Foster Empathy
EQ isn’t just about learning how to process and express your own emotions. It’s also about responding to other people’s emotions with empathy. Teach your child how they can be a good friend, classmate, and community member.
Look for opportunities to volunteer together. Show your child how they can look out for their friends and pitch in to help others. This is another area where you can exemplify these qualities in your own life so that ideally, your child will follow in your footsteps.
Encourage Problem-Solving Skills
When children are young, small problems can feel insurmountable. But as children get older, they need to develop resilience and gain faith in their problem-solving skills. If your child is tempted to give up on a problem, give them a push in the right direction.
Talk to your child about how they can take a deep breath, break down a problem into small steps, and tackle each piece one by one. This approach can make big problems seem simpler.
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Are you wondering how you can deepen your EQ, as well as your child’s? You may be interested in pursuing family or women’s therapy. Connect with us to learn more about our wide range of therapy options.