With technology becoming faster and more efficient than ever before, and the current
generation’s lifestyle pacing faster, it is clear that the next generation will have to meet the
demands of this fast-paced lifestyle, as well as the competitiveness and conflict that it brings
with it. Success for this new generation will be defined not only by academic excellence or
mastery of a specific art form, but also by their ability to navigate life and its many elements
while forming healthy new relationships and maintaining old ones all the while taking care of
themselves too.
This is where instilling emotional learning at a young age becomes their life’s anchor. Emotional
learning is the process of developing self-awareness, self-control, and the ability to manage
interpersonal skills that are required for success in their career, social circles, and life overall.
In a significant 2011 paper, researchers completed one of the largest and most comprehensive
reviews of Social-Emotional Learning. They examined 213 studies involving over 270,000
children and discovered that participation in Social-Emotional Learning programs improves
students’ academic achievement, among other things. It also has a long-term impact on children
and school communities.
In today’s world, where academic excellence does not always imply holistic development for
your child, emotional learning bridges that gap and promises a successful and fulfilling career
and life outside of it. In simple terms, emotional learning entails being intimate with oneself,
practicing introspection, self-regulation, and being aware of emotions, which leads to
improvement and proves beneficial in various areas of your child’s life.
For starters, Emotional Learning enables your child to comprehend not only their own feelings
but also the feelings of those around them, allowing them to empathize more effectively and
form stronger bonds. Another benefit of Social Emotional Learning is that it increases their
self-esteem. It prepares your child for times when they will face difficulties and makes them
quick to act when the situation calls for it.
Emotional learning also equips children with the skill and incentive to follow through on
academic or personal promises and commitments made to others as well as to oneself.
Another crucial positive impact of Emotional intelligence and learning is that it essentially makes
up the image of how kids will regard themselves for the rest of their lives, which is a better,
strong, and independent self-image.
As youngsters grow older they are met by demands from different aspects of life, ranging from
academics and extracurricular activities to interpersonal relationships with family and peers.
Emotional learning can assist children in dealing with these situations with ease and be prompt
in finding solutions to problems on their own.
Social-emotional learning also facilitates your child’s opportunities to express themselves
through many forms of art, such as music, painting, poetry writing, and so on. This artistic
expression of oneself makes it easy for them to choose a career route in their lives later on.
Another advantage of emotional learning for children is that it greatly enhances their
communication skills because they are both better at naming emotions and interpreting feelings
and sentiments at all times. They are also better at articulating and keeping track of their
thoughts and opinions on various topics.
Children who lack self-control are more likely to have outbursts and fight with other children.
They may also struggle with delaying personal satisfaction because they haven’t learned to
manage their emotions and thoughts. This is where emotional learning in children comes in
handy to resolve such occasions of outbursts.
Children become more conscious and mindful human beings when they establish self-control
and self-awareness through emotional learning in them. Being more attentive and present
keeps a variety of mental health disorders at bay which is an inevitable part of adolescence. It
strengthens their grasp on emotions as well as instills in them a strong coping mechanism for
when they are confronted with any mental health issues.
Therefore it’s necessary for parents and teachers of young kids to create an environment at
home or at school that encourages and supports innovative and exciting ways of bringing
emotional learning into the curriculum of the everyday lives of these children so that it becomes
a part of and shapes their identity as emotionally intelligent human beings.
