3 Ways to Increase Your Child's Emotional Intelligence at Any Age

Emotional intelligence is a skill we need and develop over a lifetime. It helps us in our jobs, our relationships, and every human interaction we have. Read below for ideas to give your child a jump start in developing this skill right now.

1. Mimic your child's facial expressions.

   Watch what your child does with their face and do the same with yours. And exaggerate! You can do this with your child the day they are born.

   
   

2. Read stories with gusto.

   Change your tone of voice according to what's happening in the story. This will not only be more engaging for your little one, but it also teaches your child how to match inflection with feeling.

   
   

3. Pause and point.

   When reading to your child, point at the characters' faces and narrate what you see. If the character is smiling, say, "Look! He's smiling. He's happy." Pair facial expressions with emotions. Click here to see an example of this.

These three suggestions are simple ways to help your child intentionally learn to be aware of their own feelings and others'. Give it a try, and let me know how it goes!

If you're worried about your child's development or wonder if they know how to accurately express their feelings, book a session with me today.

Call 417-624-9659 or click here.