by Angie Shiflett
As a homeschool parent, I understand the importance of ensuring that my children have a high level of emotional intellect. Emotional intelligence is a basic form of intellect that deals with the part of life that is naturally emotional in one way or another. There are many different aspects of emotional intellect. One good example is the ability to appropriately handle interpersonal dealings and relationships in an effective manner. In the homeschool classroom, it is important that the emotional intellect of the child is enhanced.
The first method that you can use to teach emotional intellect in the homeschool classroom is to display a high level of emotional intellect yourself. You may be wondering exactly how to do this, right? Well, that is the easy part. One of the main components of emotional intellect is the process of being aware and comfortable of your own emotions and/or feelings. This includes knowing the way that we truly feel about things, and being able to effectively manage those emotions.
As a parent, you should not be afraid of the feelings and/or emotions that you experience on a day to day basis. You should be completely comfortable with your emotions and appreciate the lessons that they bring to your life. Your homeschooler will see that you will comfortable with the various emotions that you have, and will carefully observe how you deal with those emotions. This, in turn, will allow their emotional intellect and emotional management skills to develop effectively.
The next step to developing emotional intellect with the homeschooled child is to instill a high sense of responsibility in them. This should start at a very young age, approximately two years of age, and continue all the way up until adulthood. Children who are taught that it is productive to be responsible are made aware of their world, and the unique place that they have in the world. This is truly an eye opener for a child. Emotional intellect will develop to the point in which they know and understand that their feelings are all theirs, but that those feelings and any actions associated with them may have an impact on the world around them as well.
The next way that you can develop emotional intellect in your homeschooler is to allow them to feel as they feel, and never condemn them for it. I have seen situations in other homeschool families in which a child is angry at a sibling because of the fact that they were invited to attend an even outside the home and they were not invited. This particular child was hurt, embarrassed, and very sad. The parent kept trying to talk the child out of the way that they were feeling and then became frustrated to the point in which the child was then sent to their room.
Naturally, this would give the child the impression that it is not appropriate to feel angry, hurt, embarrassed, and sad. This is not only damaging a child’s emotional intellect, but it is also damaging their self-confidence. It is imperative that parents allow their children to express who they are, and what they feel, without being condemned. This will strengthen the emotional intellect of the child, and raise the child’s self esteem as well. This will help the child to know and understand that it is “ok” to be exactly who they are.
In the homeschool environment, we teach our children values. One of these values is that of respect for ourselves and others. While this is extremely important, it is also important to teach the homeschooler that it is acceptable to express themselves. Many children are taught to watch what they say, and how they say it. However, it is important for children to be completely comfortable with their opinions, and being able to speak what is on their minds.
One parent who homeschools their child that I know has a rule about guarding their tongue when in the presence of an adult. One day, the child was asked by an adult how they enjoyed taking a particular lesson and asked about a project associated with the lesson. The child took a deep breath, watched to see if their mother was listening, then blurted out their unhappiness with it and said they did not like it at all. The mother quickly rushed over and apologized for the child expressing this opinion.
We should not do this as it damages the self-confidence and emotional intellect of a child. We should teach our children that some things that can be hurtful to others should be avoided, but if they have an honest opinion that they feel the need to express, then we should allow it. This is an essential component of increasing the emotional intellect of a homeschooler.
Angie Shiflett is a content specialist that focuses on writing on an assortment of topics. Currently, her passion is homeschooling. She has been homeschooling her children through The Connections Academy for two years now. Both her and her husband are able to remain at home with their children in order to educate them. They place a high emphasis on family, and dedication to the importance of a proper education.
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