We have already talked about the importance of providing support to the emotional development of a child, aged from to years, as one of the most important processes in the personality development. What we will also familiarize ourselves with is emotional intelligence: what it entails and why it is important.

 What most of us emphasize, as the most important prerequisite for all achievements, is academic intelligence. For us, it is a measure of success, and regarding children, we usually equalize it with knowledge acquired in school and grades. Even though it is more than desirable to develop academic intelligence, whose characteristics are strong logic, faster mastering of school material and better understanding of certain areas.

 However, it is only one in a series of factors of future achievements (contributes 20%). Emotional intelligence has a great influence on further achievements. Emotional intelligence is about motivation and perseverance in case of failure, control of impulses, control of moods, interpersonal relationships. By encouraging and nurturing it, we prepare children for various life challenges, crises, opportunities, changes, difficulties. By teaching them skills to deal with stress, then perseverance, patience, insight and knowledge of one’s own emotions and behavior, and by understanding the emotions of the people around us, we encourage its development. It is important to emphasize that age does not represent a limitation and it is never too early or too late to exert an influence on the development of emotional intelligence in some of the following ways:

We must not hide our feelings in front of our children. Regardless of the fact that they cause regret and sadness, children must know that we cannot always be happy and satisfied. By such examples, we show to them that we all feel differently and that it is good to show both good and bad emotions. Thus, we introduce them to the real world in which they grow up.

We must always show to children that problems are beyond them, that they are not the problem, that it is always possible to solve a problem and encourage them to think. Independent problem solving from an early age enables the development of various strategies with which they themselves reach solutions.

Children need a sense of independence when dealing with certain situations, and such way raises their self-confidence, which is a part of emotional intelligence.

Children, through their growing up, must learn to understand and express their feelings. At an earlier age, we have to introduce the child to emotions and the ways in which we express them. At the earliest age, this is achieved by drawing. If we draw a smiling child and talk about how he/she is happy, satisfied, loved, the child will become familiar with the emotional vocabulary. It is the same with feelings that cause sorrow, sadness, and disappointment

Should you have additional questions, doubts or need support, the free services of the IPD psychological counseling center are at your disposal. Feel free to contact us via private message on our Facebook page “IPD Parent Advisor”, e-mail address or telephone call 

This article was prepared within the project @RELOADWesternBalkans, financed by @eubih, and implemented by @UNDPBiH. The content of this article, as well as the findings presented in it, are the exclusive responsibility of the Institute for Population and Development and do not in any way reflect the views of #EU, or #UNDP #ReLOaD #ReLOaDBiH #LocalDemocracy #WesternBalkans