13 ways to build emotional intelligence in your child

How to build your child's emotional intelligence

      Is being smart the only area of the child worth developing? What about compassion? Social awareness? Gratitude? Humility? Heart?

      Service projects help build emotional intelligence in children. They learn by watching and helping with your service. Create opportunities for them to serve and help others.

      The mental, emotional, social, physical, and spiritual health of children are all important. Learning to serve in a greater cause than self is important in developing emotional intelligence to be a well-rounded person.

      With a little guidance, children can discover how to use their intelligence and creativity to do good in this world and make it a better place, even if just in their little corner.

      There are several character-traits that most parents would like to teach their children: self-esteem, love & kindness, cleanliness, honesty, obedience, forgiveness, dependability, courage, inner happiness, work ethic, gratitude, service, and humility.

      “True humility is intelligent self-respect which keeps us from thinking too highly or too meanly of ourselves. It makes us modest by reminding us how far we have come short of what we can be.” ~ Ralph W Sockman.

      Since children remember things better when they are put to music, a good way to facilitate your child’s character development is with *Brite Music® CDs and follow-along books, especially the Standing Tall® series and Safety Kids® series. http://www.britemusic.com

                So to summarize, the steps to helping your babies develop their best minds are:

1. Purge yourself of substances before pregnancy if possible, and
2. During pregnancy no matter what.
3. Eat nutritional meals and get enough iron.
4. Once he’s born, breast feed your baby.
5. Hold her and rock her often.
6. Keep him away from very much radio, video games, and TV until he’s at least over two years old.
7. Stimulate her mind with picture books and shared reading.
8. Expose him to good classical music.
9. Teach her phonics early the right way with The Godfrey Method picture-letters and guides.
10. Play games with him and buy him puzzles.
11. Sing to her.
12. Take him on outings.
13. Smile and give her direct eye contact.

(None of these are gender-based, I just refuse to use the incorrect pronoun "they" above, so I alternated "him" and "her".)

                As an author of children's books, scientist, mother of 14, mother of 16 other foster children, and grandmother of 17 so far, I have found that children take things apart to see how they work, to test the limits of natural physics properties, to exercise their muscles, to stimulate their minds, and to satisfy their insatiable curiosity for learning.

      The best way to raise bright children is to:

1. Provide a stimulating learning environment. (Stimulating does not mean flashy nor noisy).
2. Teach them to read before kindergarten. The Godfrey Method works well.
3. Home school them, if desired. Definitely supplement preschool and public school!
4. Give them the freedom to make a mess while exploring science, art, etc. (And teach them to clean up).
5. Put them in an accelerated class for gifted students (more challenging).
6. Understand that some ADHD is really just gifted children being bored.
7. Keep them busy with learning activities.
8. Play the classical music of Brahms, Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart (helps mental abilities).
9. Allow them to solve problems on their own, without correcting or rescuing them, unless absolutely necessary.
10. Never do for them what they can do for themselves, within reason. (I do not mean to drive them to the point of frustrated tears, nor to forget common courtesy).
11. Give them opportunities to serve their community, including family chores.
12. Teach them the value of work and of doing their part.
13. Provide positive spiritual opportunities and activities for them.

      Sure, everyone has an anecdote of the ‘exception to the rule’. But they’re not the rule. Progressive, caring parents will give their child’s genes every advantage to be their best and brightest.

      Will your child be ready for the technology jobs of the future?

      Without these preventatives, the cracks in your child may be false pride, childhood depression, low self-confidence, lack of social skills, lack of compassion/empathy for others, and/or poor decision-making skills. You are the key. It’s not rocket surgery!

http://thegodfreymethod.com/blog/good-foundation-13-ways-build-emotional-intelligence-your-child