Emotional intelligence can vary from the more commonly perceived notion of intelligence that many of us share. It is different from the child’s ability to perform well in the more popular subjects between parents, teachers, and students, like Science or Maths. To make it easier to understand, emotional intelligence or someone’s emotional quotient (EQ) is very different and more important than someone’s intelligence quotient (IQ). How and why is it like that? Emotional intelligence is most often defined as one’s ability to perceive, understand, and manage emotions in positive ways to communicate effectively, overcome challenges, manage disputes, and relieve stress. Suppose a child can build emotional intelligence and be able to recognise their feelings when they get out of control. In that case, it can help stabilise them and get their focus and attention back to normal. Often, children feel things at extremes because they don’t fully understand how to manage their emotions. That’s why we see teenagers getting overly rebellious or stubborn at times because they don’t really know how to process their feelings even though they can recognise them. This does not only lead to a risk in their personal lives with their family and friends, but it can also intervene with how well they are doing in school. Emotions that are not dealt with healthily can lead to resentment, depression, anxiety, and many more mental health issues in a child. This can make it harder for children of any age to give their best in school and excel according to their capabilities because it can prove to be very hard for them to place their focus and attention on something else. And no, there is no particular age at which a child can develop emotional intelligence. It can be done with careful observation and meaningful time investment at any age. However, with emotional intelligence, children can deal with stress from school, teachers, and even peers with much more ease. This can make it easier and more efficient for a child to finish work on time, have a healthy relationship with their teachers and supervisors, and be able to deal with friendships throughout their school life. Of course, building emotional intelligence does not necessarily mean that there will never be times when one does not feel overwhelmed or unable to control their feelings; that’s a natural experience, but they sure will be able to deal with these issues more efficiently and healthily.
Credits to links: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_intelligence