Can Emotional Intelligence be Taught?

1) http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/15/magazine/can-emotional-intelligence-be-taught.html

2) Category of Problem/Issue: Psychological/Social 

3) Level of Issue: National

4) Problem/Issue that Individuals/Families face: Children may or may not be receiving the amount of emotional stability they need to become stable members of society.

5) Why this is important to individuals/families OR How does this affect individuals/families: The article explores the theory that children need to learn to manage their emotions in order to reach their potential and grow into a functional/and emotionally stable member of society.   

6) What are your views on the issue/policy?

 In the article children are given different scenarios in which they have to explain their feelings when responded to in a certain way. Many of the children felt that they were yelled at by parents or teachers and not told the reasons behind why they were being yelled at. Like most younger children they were most likely touching something that was not theirs, or doing something they has been told not to do, but like I also said, they are children.

They discovered that many children would feel at ease and less on edge if they would be told why that person yelled at them, which would in tern correct their behavior because there was a mutual understanding rather than a list of do’s and don’ts. Through observations, because yes, I am that person who wants to just adopt a million kids and love them all, I have to agree with this article in the sense that I agree that children need to be taught at an early age, not necessarily HOW to feel about certain situations, but how to REACT when they are overcome with emotion. Rather than letting their emotions take control of a situation, they can step back and understand how they feel, why they feel that way, and why the other person is reacting in the way that they are.

Being able to manage their emotions can help them become more successful in school, work and at home, but it takes more than the child knowing this, it take a parent who is willing to work with their child.