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EMOTIONAL
INTELLIGENCE
WHAT IS IT, WHO HAS IT, AND HOW TO GET IT
By // Charlotte Reznick, Ph.D.Y
our nine-year-old is teased at school for being the
new kid in class and he tells you he wants to run
away.
Your six-year-old feels humiliated at soccer
practice because she can’t kick the ball as well as
the other girls (never mind they had a year more practice)
and wants to quit.
Your four-year-old’s preschool teacher complains to you
about your son being too aggressive with the other kids.
And your oldest teen girl gets a D on her last history
exam and you find she seems to have given up studying andinstead is sleeping and smoking pot most of her free time.
What does this all mean and what is a parent of a
supposedly “smart” child to do?
First, realize that although each of these children
are all bright, they haven’t developed the emotional
skills necessary for success in such life situations.
Thankfully, these skills, many of which we often
take for granted, can be taught. In his best-selling book,
“Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than
IQ,” Daniel Goleman outlines these skills, which are all
traits of emotional intelligence, also known as EQ.