Emotional Intelligence In Children And Adolescents: What Is It And How To Develop It?

The emotional intelligence It is the ability to recognize, understand and manage our own emotions and those of others. It is a skill that helps us communicate effectively, resolve conflicts, and face life’s challenges. It is an essential resource that we can all develop, learning to manage your emotions can help you have better relationships, perform better in school and feel happier.

The different types of Emotional Intelligence

• Self-awareness: Know our own emotions and how they affect us.
• Self-management: Being able to control our emotions and behaviors.
• Social conscience: Understand other people’s emotions and have empathy.
• Relationship skills: Know how to get along with others and resolve conflicts in a healthy way.

Why is emotional intelligence important in children and adolescents?

1. Improve relationships: Helps you get along better with friends and family.
2. Increases academic performance: Being emotionally balanced improves concentration and performance in school.
3. Reduces stress: Knowing how to manage emotions can reduce stress and anxiety.
4. Develop resilience: It makes it easier to face and recover from difficult situations.

Tools for children and adolescents to develop Emotional Intelligence

1. Self-awareness

• Emotional diary: Writing about how you feel each day can help you better understand your emotions.
• Personal reflection: Take a few minutes each day to think about your emotions and why you feel them.

2. Self-management

• Deep breathing: Practice breathing exercises when you feel overwhelmed or angry.
• Relaxation techniques: Like yoga or meditation, which help calm the mind.

3. Social Awareness

• Listen actively: Pay attention to what others say without interrupting.
• Practice empathy: Trying to put yourself in someone else’s shoes to understand how they feel.

4. Relationship Skills

• Conflict resolution: Learn to resolve disputes peacefully and constructively.
• Assertive communication: Express your feelings and needs clearly and respectfully.

Practical activities to develop emotional intelligence

• role play: Represent different emotional situations and discuss how to handle them.
• Circle of emotions: Sit in a circle and talk about the emotions of the day.
• Story reading: Read stories that deal with emotions and discuss them in a group.

Develop emotional intelligence It is a continuous journey. For children and teenagers, learning to manage their emotions can make a big difference in their daily lives. With practice and dedication, they can become more balanced and happy individuals.