A Guide for Parents & Guardians to Enhance Emotional Intelligence Skills During Summer Vacation for Children (Part 1)

By Marjorie Colindres, MSW, LCSW

Clinical Support Leader – School Social Work Education,

AnthroMed Education

As a former school social worker, at the end of every school year parents and guardians sought support in developing cost-effective activities and experiential learning for their children. First, I brought awareness to parents and guardians on how to enhance emotional intelligence (EI). EI is the ability to have a keen understanding of self and others, develop positive attitudes and values, make responsible decisions, and engage in practical social interaction skills* define emotional intelligence as “...the ability to carry out accurate reasoning about emotions and ability to use emotions and emotional knowledge to enhance thought”. Therefore, specific activities and ideas are provided in this blog to help parents and guardians enrich their children's experiences by further developing their EI. In this first blog, self-awareness and social awareness, and positive attitudes are discussed.?

Awareness of Self and Others

The ability to be introspective is essential while interacting with others. Payton et al. (2009) provide critical examples like labeling one’s feelings, controlling emotions, identifying strengths and weaknesses, being a flexible thinker, and understanding the perspectives of others. Therefore, the Zones of Regulation is a standard curriculum for early and late elementary ages. Here are some videos that provide more insight into the Zones of Regulation:

1. The Zones of Regulation App to Self-Monitor Emotions

2. The Zones of Regulation Activity To Do at Home

Downloading the app or doing at-home activities like the one provided above will be helpful for children to practice during the summertime.

Middle school and high school-age students need to focus on engaging in narratives. For example, set a routine to regularly engage in dialogue to share the day's rose, bud, and thorn. By practicing using I-statements, it helps to develop further ability to be attuned to inner emotions**. Creating a safe space to share feelings encourages interconnectedness within the family system. When a family spends time together sharing their highs and lows, it releases oxytocin, which is the love hormone that allows for a stronger relationship to be developed***. Thus, it is essential to teach children at an early age to be able to identify emotions and express themselves to build positive and meaningful relationships.?

Positive Attitudes and Values

Positive attitudes and values are developed through modeling and practice. Payton et al. (2009) shares that it is essential to practice righteous behaviors when interacting with people (e.g., practicing kindness and being polite) or the environment (e.g., throwing garbage in garbage cans, recycling, being kind to animals, etc.). It is also necessary to teach children to contribute to the community and protect the ecological environment. Social modeling occurs when children observe the behaviors and mimic them. The video below provides examples of social modeling****.?

The video focused on math, but the skill can be applied to other topics. For instance, parents and guardians can model the importance of supporting the local food pantry or volunteering to plant trees at the town’s park. Those are activities essential for children and youth to become involved to develop keen humanistic skills. For more volunteer opportunities for teens go to the dosomething.org website to learn more about various venues of opportunities for teens.

In sum, teaching children at an early age to develop a keen sense of self and others allows for strong relationships to be established. A routine of using I-statements will enable children and teens (C&T) to practice self-advocacy and positive communication skills. Also, teaching them to be respectful to people and the community they live in is essential in shaping them to become caring citizens. Engagement in volunteer work within communities is crucial to the development of their character and sense of responsibility to society. In the following blog, more feedback is provided on how to teach children responsible decision-making skills and how to practice meaningful social interactions in job settings to further develop social skills.

Sources:

*: (Payton et al., 2009). Mayer et al. (2008) (p.508)

**: (Burr, 1990; Darrington & Brower, 2012)

***: (Brockington et al., 2021; Zak, 2015)

****: (Bandura, 2018)