Quotients

By Deepa Santosh

An article on the role of parents in framing a child by maintaining the equilibrium of measures of overall personal development. 

The adage “change is the only constant” is now more relevant than ever. The world is rapidly evolving at an unseen, unheard pace. And it can be difficult to catch up with every little change that affects our lives in a big way. 

The booming development and growth of machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is both exciting and scary. It’s exciting to consider all the ways our lives may improve, but it’s scary to consider the social and personal implications. 

with a changing global ecosystem, it is critical for children to learn “how to think critically and solve problems, how to be creative and multidisciplinary, and how to innovate, adapt, and absorb new materials in novel and changing fields”.,

Parents want to prepare their kids from an early age for a well-rounded future. The need of the hour is to move beyond rote learning and develop skills of critical and creative thinking.

While parents invest a lot of time (and money) in securing their children’s futures and making sure they study well, there’s something which often gets overlooked, that is teaching them to be resilient, emotionally strong, battle through the tides or solve challenges beyond a textbook.

We raise our children hoping that they’ll grow up smart, confident, sharp and able to face and overcome any hurdles life throws their way. In the drive to equip little ones with these abilities, many parents focus on honing their children’s Intelligence Quotient (IQ) skills through academic achievements. We also have after-school programs, enrichment centers and private tutors to help children develop their IQ. However, it is much more difficult to find a class or hire a tutor for their EQ. Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Quotient (EQ) is as important as IQ for children to be truly successful and confidently navigate through all the twists and turns of their future world. 

The families and friends in the world are bound by emotions. If there will be no emotions, the earth won’t be a social place anymore. In fact, emotional intelligence is more important than IQ to achieve success and stability in life.

By honing a child’s EQ skills early on, we’ll be setting the stage for a more peaceful and loving parent-child relationship at home. If the parent cannot model emotional intelligence and social-emotional learning, the kids won’t get. Therefore, when it comes to the home, it all starts with the parents. “Parents must begin teaching emotional literacy to their kids from infancy.”

In order to build all aspects and capabilities of learners, it is important to focus on developing Multiple Intelligences in kids such as:

 Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

    Analytical thinking

    Critical thinking 

    Logical reasoning 

Emotional Quotient (EQ) 

   Effective Communication skills 

  Decision making skills

  Empathy

  Defuse conflicts

  Ability for team work

Creative/Curiosity Quotient (CQ)

     Creativity

    Innovation

     Intuitions

     Perception 

     Intellectual curiosity 

    Dominant spatial intelligence 

Adversity Quotient (AQ)

    -Follow a constructive approach to     experience any issues. 

-Do not easily give up when they suffer from a setback. 

-Maintain faith and a positive attitude.

Like almost every other major development area, there is a lot of debate over “NATURE vs NURTURE” where emotional intelligence is concerned. 

Parenting styles have an impact, but a parent's genetics also have an impact.

So, is emotional intelligence something you're born with, or can it be developed?

I firmly believe that the answer is both.

Teaching emotional intelligence is more of a journey than a destination.  In fact, many adults are still working towards a high EQ. Even though it’s a process, there are definitely simple ways to instill better emotional skills in our children. 

Compress the child’s nervous system with a hug. 

Listen Empathetically and acknowledge feelings. 

Be a Good Role Model by Talking about Your own Emotions. 

Admit your own mistakes in front of the kids. 

Teach Children the Healthy Way to Resolve conflicts. 

Teach children to identify their own feelings through narration. 

Teach Emotional Self-regulation. 

Expose Them To New Experiences And people. 

As much emphasis as we put upon Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Emotional Quotient (EQ), there is still a need to acknowledge the importance of Adaptability Quotient (AQ). It will be the defining quality in the next generation, especially for a smooth and healthy transition to the new world.

 What is Adaptability Quotient? 

 It is the ability to adapt and thrive in a rapidly /constantly changing environments. AQ helps people prioritise things based on what’s most relevant, overcome hurdles, and adjust things in real-time. That’s exactly why AQ is both the biggest boon and challenge of the generation to come. The shift will be massive and only those who think ahead will be able to ride out the storm.

Why Is AQ Important to My Child? 

They will be able to negotiate better out of a situation. 

It helps them to identify threats and shortcomings, which they can work upon. 

They will be up to speed with different trends and technologies. 

It helps them to accept and embrace change rather than struggle with it. 

How to improve AQ for children:

Here are a few ways that parents can help their children develop a high AQ:

Encourage exploration and experimentation:

 Encourage children to try new things and stay curious, even if they are uncertain about how it will turn out. In order to adapt, rhey must be willing to change and that is usually a process full of trial and error. That’s why experimenting is important irrespective of the consequences. The more they do so, the better they will be at determining the right results over time. This helps them develop the confidence to tackle new challenges and take risks.

 Embrace learning & 

Foster a growth mindset: 

Encourage children to view challenges as opportunities for growth and learning, rather than as insurmountable obstacles.

For kids, this needs to be a fundamental thought process whether they approach academic studies or personal interests. A strong part of the end goal needs to be the excitement to learn. As kids move to universities and later in a professional environment, this quality will help them stand out and constantly grow. 

 Change the thought process by teaching problem solving skills 

The standard schooling systems aren’t exactly designed to encourage creative thinking capabilities. Instead, kids are sucked into a vortex of “one size fits all” learning methods. This may have worked before but for a rapidly evolving world, you will need to train your children to be open to change. This is not just limited to learning and technology, but also to be open about different ideas and perspectives. Teach children how to think critically and creatively, so they can come up with solutions to problems on their own.

Willingness to take risks

Progress doesn’t happen on its own. You make it happen by taking the first step when nobody is willing to. That’s a risk and you should encourage your child to do so when the opportunity presents itself. You can start by encouraging them to take smaller risks and then gradually build on it. Trying out for the sports team, drama class, learning a new skill (music, dance, drawing), all are activities that require your child to take a risk and attempt it. Until they try, they won’t know what they’re missing out. 

Foster resilience: Teach children how to bounce back from failure and setbacks, and encourage them to persevere in the face of obstacles.

Encourage collaboration and teamwork: Teach children how to work effectively with others, so they can succeed in a team environment.

Look at the bigger picture

Train your kids to always look at the larger picture to increase their adaptability quotient. This helps kids think in different directions rather than the most obvious outcome of a situation.

Parents are the ultimate role models for children. Every word, movement and action has an effect. Anyway, the golden rule of parenting is "Always show our children the kind of person we want them to be... "

By Deepa Santosh