6 Phrases That Promote Emotional Intelligence

Teaching emotional intelligence goes beyond reasoning and academic knowledge. It’s about learning to manage one’s emotions and live harmoniously with other human beings throughout the different stages of development.

When we talk about intelligence, we’re usually referring to the ability to learn. Intelligence is based on acquiring knowledge and the ability to use it. The entire academic system was based on that concept.

Since the nineties, there has been talk of teaching emotional intelligence at schools as well, investing in it as a way to empower other types of intelligence.

In this article, we’ll provide a list of useful phrases to promote emotional intelligence in children. In these phrases, we try to make emotions implicit, as they’re fundamental to any person’s life.

Emotional intelligence is understood as knowing how to manage and use one’s emotions to lead a more efficient life.

That’s why emotional intelligence is becoming increasingly more important within the education system, and being taught early-on in children’s development.

Phrases to promote emotional intelligence

1. Understand what you feel.

Teaching children to recognize their emotions from an early age will allow them to handle them in a better way. Responses to emotions such as anger or frustration can be out of control if a child hasn’t developed the ability to recognize and handle them.

By learning to control his emotions, your child will improve his ability to relate to others. At the same time, he’ll feel better about himself.

2. Stay in the present.

Being in the here and now may seem trite, but it’s a very useful habit. Being in the present is the best way to become self-aware.

This way your child can come to understand what triggers a certain response and to be aware of the relationship between his reactions and his emotions. This gives the child more control over himself.

By focusing on the present, your child can also avoid harmful emotions such as anguish, worry and guilt. A child who doesn’t develop self-awareness is unaware of his weaknesses, but will also not have the confidence that comes from knowing his own strengths.

3. Silence is good.

Many say that silence in a child is cause for concern. But in terms of emotional intelligence, silence is an important skill to develop.

Teaching your child to enjoy external and internal silence and listening to himself gives him advantages in life. He’ll be able to reflect and, above all, listen to his intuition, something we often put aside in today’s busy society.

4. Listen carefully.

With this phrase, we teach children to listen actively. Active listening is the key to efficient communication.

This involves teaching your child three basic things: paying attention to what he says, handling his body language to show the speaker that he is listening, and being able to summarize the general idea of what has been said.

What do we achieve with this? Improvements in school performance and, above all, in relationships with others, because effective communication implies respect for others.

5. May your heart and reason always accompany you.

Adults sometimes go to extremes. Either we are excessively rational, or we run amok and act impulsively. This phrase to promote emotional intelligence tells us to look inside ourselves for balance.

Teach your child that it’s ideal to act in balance between rational thought and impulses. It won’t always be easy, but it’s vital to practice this in order to achieve it.

6. Put yourself in another person’s shoes.

Empathy is one of the basic pillars of emotional intelligence. Getting a child to understand the feelings of others is a very important step.

By assuming the feelings of others, we get more involved with our own. It’s a two-way process where both individuals have something to gain.

You learn to perceive what the other person wants or needs. A child who develops empathy will be a trustworthy adult, a special skill in professions that involve constant contact with other people.

These phrases to promote emotional intelligence can be kept in view in the classroom, in a child’s bedroom or even printed on shirts in a fun way.

Emotional and cognitive development are essential to achieve more balanced and integrated adults.