In order to grow up to be a well-adjusted adult, a child needs more than food and shelter. Children need their parents to guide them through their emotions. Here is what parents need to do to nourish their children’s emotional intelligence.
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1. Acknowledge their negative emotions
When your child expresses negative emotions, the worst thing you can do is to disregard them. Children have a hard time managing their emotions and if you punish or scold them, they might conclude that they are not entitled to their emotions. Have patience and understanding for them, make them feel accepted and safe. Otherwise, they might learn to suppress their feelings, which can be very harmful later in life.
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2. Help them name their emotions
Once your child has expressed some form of emotion, help them recognize it and label it. By doing so, they will have a stronger grip on the situation. Limit your own frustration as much as possible, ask them questions about how they feel, let them know that adults also have these kinds of emotions. They will feel less frighten by the way they feel and less alone.
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3. Make them understand the difference between emotions and behaviors
When a child is angry and starts throwing things or hitting other children, you should make him understand that while it’s acceptable to be angry, it’s not OK to harm others. Another way you can help is by finding alternative solutions at similar situations together. This will give them a sense of autonomy, which children really crave.
Help your child become self-confident and emotionally intelligent. Please, share this!
