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Why is emotional intelligence important?

We often talk about IQ, but in today's time, as much as it is important for a child to be academically sharp, it is equally important for him to be emotionally strong and balanced.

Emotional intelligence is the ability by which a child:

Can recognize his own feelings,

Can express them correctly,

Can also understand and respect the feelings of others.

This quality not only leads to success in relationships but also brings a sense of confidence, empathy, and leadership in every area of life.

So let's know 8 practical ways by which you can develop emotional intelligence in your child.

✅ 1. Teach children to name their emotions

Anger, grief, disappointment, and fear are often indistinguishable to children.

When they cry or become silent, say:

"Are you angry?"

"You felt sad because...?"

🔁 This helps the child learn to identify and name his emotions.

✅ 2. Teach to accept emotions instead of suppressing them

Many times we say:

❌ "Don't cry; children are brave."

✅ "You are crying because you are hurt... this is absolutely fine."

When we validate the child's feelings, he considers them natural and safe.

✅ 3. Do not laugh or make fun of his feelings

If the child says, "I am feeling scared," and we say, "Oh! How timid you are!"

Then he starts hiding his feelings in the future.

👉 Make him feel that his feelings are important and worth understanding.

✅ 4. Share your feelings too (Be a role model)

When you yourself say:

"I am feeling a little tired today."

"I was very angry at that time, but I calmed myself down."

The child will learn that expressing emotions is natural—and that handling them can also be learned.

✅ 5. Teach through stories, role-play, and games

Games and stories are great ways to teach emotional intelligence:

📖 After the story, ask:

"What would you do if you were in that girl's place?"

🎭 Play role-play:

"Suppose your friend breaks your thing—what would you do?"

These teach the youngster the skill of perceiving and reacting to other people's emotions.

✅ 6. Teach healthy ways to deal with anger, frustration and stress

When the child throws things or screams in anger, teach him in a calm way:

"It's okay to get angry, but we can't hurt others."

"Talk to me, count to 10, or take a deep breath when you're feeling sad."

👉 Through this, the child learns self-regulation.

✅ 7. Develop empathy

Empathy means understanding the feelings of others—it is the backbone of emotional intelligence.

👂 When the child sees someone crying, ask:

“Why do you think he is crying?”

“How can we help him?”

🔁 This helps the child to develop the habit of thinking from the point of view of others.

✅ 8. Teach positive self-talk

When children say:

❌ “I am foolish.” “I will not suffer any harm.”

Then teach them:

✅ "I'll try," "I'm learning," and "I'm fine, getting better every day."

This helps them to build a positive relationship with themselves.

📝 Conclusion

Emotional intelligence is the most important life skill of a child.

When a child learns to understand and manage his and others' emotions, he can handle every relationship and every challenge in life wisely.

“Emotions are not weakness; understanding and controlling them is real strength.”

🙋‍♀️ Your thoughts?

Are you trying to increase emotional understanding in your child?

Which of these remedies have you tried?

Do tell us in the comments and share your experience.