Educational child care center do not teach ABCs only, they shape your kid’s emotional intelligence (EI) as well. Kids spend most of their time either at school or daycare centers. It is a place where they learn lots of social skills as well, one of them being emotional intelligence (EI).
Research shows that most of the mental growth and development of children is completed till the age of 5 years. During this period, it is highly crucial that your little one is exposed to scenarios and situations where they can use their intuition and understand what they feel. It helps to improve their emotional intelligence a lot.
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What Is Emotional Intelligence (EI)?
Emotional intelligence is your ability to understand your emotions as well as of others around you.
It goes the same for the kids. For kids, emotional intelligence (EI) is the extent to which they can understand and analyze their own feelings, and emotions and acknowledge the same for their peers kids.
There are five key elements of emotional intelligence:
- Self-awareness.
- Self-regulation.
- Motivation.
- Empathy.
- Social skills.
Can Emotional Intelligence (EI) Be Measured?
While it is a subjective term, you can measure it just like your Intelligence Quotient (IQ). You can easily know about the level of your emotional intelligence by the “Emotional Intelligence test”. This test is based on Goleman’s four-quadrant Emotional Intelligence Competency Model (2002).
It consists of short questions that you have to answer. Based on their results and emotional quotient (eq), the level of your emotional intelligence is determined.
Many psychological websites also offer free emotional intelligence tests. You can get an idea of the test from these websites.
However, for accurate and expert advice you should visit a psychologist to carry out your test in person and give you a detailed explanation of it.
How Do Daycare Centers Contribute To The Emotional Intelligence Of Kids?
Let’s say your kid goes to a daycare center in La Porte Texas, or you are someone looking for a daycare center for your little one.
For you, it is important to know how these childcare centers are helping your kids improve their EI. Below mentioned are some of the ways daycare centers contribute to the EI of your kid.
- Social interaction with peers:
Daycare centers offer a great opportunity for kids to socialize with each other. As they have diverse children from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and social classes, kids learn to communicate with each other. Make friends, share with them, play with them and it all helps them understand each other’s emotions and feelings.
- Group activities:
Kids learn empathy working in group activities. Moreover, it offers a way for each kid to show their competency while being together, it paves a way to experience all different kinds of emotions. Such as happiness, disappointment, jealousy, empathy, confidence, and many more.
- Conflict resolution:
Conflict resolution is one of the major EI skills a kid learns in a childcare setting. We can’t deny the fact that conflicts arise when kids play around. Whether it is over a toy or a turn to swing, kids do get in conflict with each other. However, the caregivers and teachers find it the most perfect time for teaching.
At High Achievers Learning Center La Porte, Texas we help kids use their words to express what they feel instead of reacting aggressively/impulsively. It helps each of them to convey how they feel and the reason for the conflict, and then we help them resolve it.
- Emotional security:
Emotional security is the state when you know about an upcoming situation and you’re physically and mentally prepared for it.
In daycare centers, following proper stable daily routines makes the actions and events predictable for kids. It helps them feel secure and more easy to open up about their feelings, make new friends, communicate with each other, etc.
- Positive reinforcement:
Positive reinforcement is the act of rewarding a positive behavior in order to encourage it to happen again in the future. Or it is rewarding a behavior in order to abstain from a certain negative behavior.
For example, if you tell kids they’ll get extra playtime if they don’t fight or through any tantrums, kids will listen to you. This is positively reinforcing behavior by providing a reward at its completion.
- Respect & tolerance:
Children in diverse daycare settings are exposed to peers from many cultural backgrounds. This exposure teaches kids that people express their emotions in a variety of ways, which improves their ability to empathize with and respect the sentiments of others. Understanding cultural diversity promotes open-mindedness and emotional adaptation.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
A daycare center is one of the primary places for kids to learn. It should be a loving and playful experience for them.
Emotional Intelligence is your ability to acknowledge your as well as others’ emotions. This ability should be polished right from childhood in kids for them to create a better world tomorrow.
At High Achievers La Porte, Texas we make this experience filled with joyous laughter and true understanding between kids. If you are looking for such a daycare center, let’s get in touch now!
