Emotional and social intelligence are essential aspects of achieving success in life. These are very powerful which make them both the foundation for dealing with impulses, handling stress and responding to situations. To embark on these profound aspects, parents have important roles. According to psychologist Daniel Goleman author of Emotional Intelligence 1995, "Family life is our first school for emotional learning."
A study from the Center of Creative Leadership reported that 75% of careers are derailed for reasons related to emotional competencies. This includes the person's inability to handle interpersonal problems, manage times of difficulty, incapacity to adapt to change or build trust among other individuals. To avoid this, emotional and social skills need to be nurtured at the early stage of child development.
There are various ways to foster emotional and social intelligence. Parents may start by giving attention to the children. Attention creates a bond and becomes a valuable way of recognizing, understanding and choosing how we think, feel and act towards the relationship one creates inside the four corners of the home.
Communication is a key for relationship building. Talk to your children in a two-way manner. Talk with respect and listen with your full attention. As early as possible, speak to the child as young as they are because this is also their way of learning the language. Infants and toddlers are capable of communication and comprehension way before they utter recognizable words.
When we know how to spend time and communicate properly to our children, then discipline is easy to implement. Discipline doesn't always mean harsh words and violent behavior. Treating the kids with respect is a good way for them to understand things. Through this, emotional and social skills are being fostered unconsciously.
Once emotional and social skills are built in our kids, various benefits will follow including behavioral improvement, academic excellence and health welfare.
"When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion." -- Dale Carnegie
Watch this video as it discusses emotional intelligence among all ages.
