An understanding of a child’s emotional intelligence is useful for parents trying to maintain perspective on what is important in raising their children. Our genes provide us with dispositions and tendencies toward personality characteristics, and our experiences shape us throughout our lifetime. In the early childhood years, children develop a core personality and sense of themselves. They develop a view of the social and physical world and their abilities to navigate the currents and shoals that carry them along. Motivation to succeed becomes internalized. Children develop empathy for others and a capacity to respond to the emotional ups and downs of others.
Dimensions of Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is made up of the following:
1. Knowing One’s Emotions
Self-awareness, or the ability to recognize a feeling as it happens, is the cornerstone of emotional intelligence. Being aware of our moods, thoughts, and feelings about our moods is necessary to manage emotions.
2. Managing Emotions
Managing feelings so that they lead to appropriate behavior is a critical ability that builds on self-awareness.
3. Motivating Oneself
Enthusiasm and persistence in the face of anxiety, fear, and setbacks set achievers apart. Believing that you possess the will and the way to master events is a critical predictor of success in school and life.
4. Recognizing Emotion in oOthers
Empathy builds on self-awareness and applies it to others. It is a fundamental skill that is essential to successful interpersonal interactions.
5. Handling Relationships
The art of relationships is, in large part, measured by how well we can manage the emotions of others, and how well we are able to recognize and respond to those emotions with appropriate behavior.
Source: Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, based on the work of Yale psychologist Peter Salovey.
