We have all heard of Intelligence Quotient or IQ. We, as parents and educators have always directed our students to acquire a higher IQ. We engage them in a variety of learning activities which help them crack the IQ tests and enhance it further.

Now, have you heard of EQ or EI?

Emotional Intelligence or EI is the ability to be in control of one's emotions. When your child undergoes failure or faces a difficult situation, how they react to it is what defines their Emotional Intelligence.

Why is Emotional Intelligence importance for kids?

Let us consider this scenario: Your daughter is working on her homework and she faces problem understanding a concept. She tries to analyze the problem to the best of herknowledge. When she does not get a solution, she approaches you for help. You guys work together and you try to help her out with the problem. She visits school the next day and after class she approaches her teacher about the issue and gets it solved.

Now consider this situation: Your daughter is working on her homework and she faces problem understanding a concept. She tries to analyze it and on not finding a solution she gets frustrated, comes stomping to you and yells at you because you forced her for homework. When you try to help her she throws her books away and storms out of the room,not willing to learn. At school when the teacher asks about the homework, she says she did not complete it, showing no efforts to get her doubts cleared.

Which scenario do you think involves Emotional Intelligence?

That's right, the first one.

The way children understand, analyze and express their emotions is what affects their behaviour and overall relationships in school as well in future. Emotionally Intelligent kids have a sense of control over how they express their feelings, how they choose to react in variant situations and how they empathize with other kids.

How can we as parents and teachers raise emotionally intelligent kids?

1. Let your children express their emotions

When your children go through a set of mixed emotions, let them feel it completely. If your son is sad, instead of dismissing it like "It's okay, such things happen. It will be fine." You might say, "I know you are feeling sad about this. You can talk to me." This will make your child feel understood and they will realise the right way to express their emotions.

2. Empathize with your child

Let your kids know their feelings are validated. Don't sidetrack their emotions because you cannot handle them at times. Sit down with your kids and listen to them.Let them talk about what they are feeling and how they face difficult situations. Let them know they can talk to you, and their feelings matter.

3. Help them label their emotions

Each passing day your kinds undergo a plethora of emotions. Anger, jealousy,happiness, sadness. Help them give a name to these emotions. Explain to them the different types of feelings and when and why do they feel it.

4. Encourage your kids to take a stand

Teach your child to support or help other children whenever they see someone being bullied or in trouble. This will help your child empathize with other kids and will also imbibe a sense of standing up against bullying no matter what.

Mastering something so complex as emotional intelligence is a lifelong journey. We must ourselves be emotionally present for our children at every step in order to raise them with high emotional intelligence.