⬅︎ Parenting Tips

💡 Talk about feelings like you talk about the weather—frequently, casually, and without making it weird.

✅ Benefits of Emotional Intelligence

• Builds your child's ability to recognize and name emotions

• Improves problem-solving and reduces tantrums

• Strengthens empathy and kindness toward others

• Makes family communication smoother and more honest

• Helps children bounce back from setbacks and frustrations

🧠 What Research Says

Kids aren’t born knowing how to handle big emotions. In fact, their brains are still building the “roads” that connect feelings to actions. Think of emotions like a wild monsoon—without guidance, kids might just stand in the rain. But with support, they learn to dance in it, or at least bring an umbrella.

When parents name feelings—“You’re looking frustrated!” or “Wow, that must’ve felt exciting!”—they give kids a blueprint for self-understanding. These moments help children understand what they feel and why, which is the first step to self-regulation.

Frequent, open conversations about emotions also train kids to handle conflict, delay gratification, and empathize with others. Emotional intelligence (EQ) becomes a life skill just as vital as math or reading—maybe even more, depending on how you feel about algebra.

And here’s the secret sauce: your child learns emotional habits not just from what you say, but from how you handle your own emotions. So yes, your deep breathing during rush hour traffic? It counts as parenting.

📖 A Parenting Anecdote

It was a Tuesday evening in Pune, the kind where everything feels like a bit too much. Diya, a marketing executive working from home, had just closed her laptop when her eight-year-old son Aarav stormed into the room, his face as stormy as the sky outside.

"Mumma! Ayush cheated in ludo AGAIN. I'm never playing with him!"

She sighed, motioning him to sit next to her on the couch. "Sounds like you're really angry," she said gently.

"He's so unfair!" Aarav’s voice trembled.

"Okay. Let’s slow down. You’re angry because Ayush cheated. That makes sense. Can I ask—what did that feel like in your body?"

Aarav looked puzzled, then touched his stomach. “Like... hot here. And my fists wanted to punch something.”

"That’s your body’s way of telling you something's wrong,” Diya said, rubbing his back. “Now, how can we let Ayush know that without exploding?”

Together, they practiced deep breaths and came up with a plan: Aarav would tell Ayush, “It’s not fun when you cheat. I want to play fair.” No yelling. No name-calling. Just honesty.

Later that evening, Aarav tried it. Ayush blinked, surprised, and mumbled, “Okay, sorry.” They ended up finishing the game—and even laughing.

As Diya watched them play, she smiled. It wasn’t just about ludo anymore. It was about giving her son the words to face life’s little storms with confidence.

💬 Final Thought

Raising emotionally intelligent kids doesn't mean avoiding hard feelings—it means guiding them through. When we talk about emotions like they’re a normal part of daily life (because they are), our kids learn that no feeling is too big to handle.

Try this tip today—ask your child, “What are you feeling right now?” and really listen. You might be surprised by what you learn.