“Research shows there are ways we can take advantage of neuroplasticity to help children master the abilities that are crucial for emotional intelligence.”
By: Patrick McMillan
Neuroplasticity put in the simplest of terms means that our brain is designed to change both in physical size and capacity to learn. In fact the brain is the only organ in the human body where changes are necessary and it is through our experiences, thoughts, emotions and the forming of our beliefs and memories that these changes occur, and these changes can last a lifetime. However, many of these neural changes occur before our twentieth birthday revealing a window of opportunity to instill a level of emotional intelligence that can have dramatic effects on their success and happiness throughout their lives.
Richard Davidson, founder of the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin says “The neural circuitry that allows us to pay attention, calm ourselves, and attune to others’ feelings all takes shape in the first two decades of life. If we leave that shaping to chance, kids can grow up with a range of deficiencies in these key life skills that can trouble them throughout life, in their relationships and at work. But if we offer them a systematic education in these abilities, they can take these skills with them through life.”
Daniel Goleman, author of the groundbreaking book Emotional Intelligence argues that emotional intelligence is more important than IQ and is the strongest indicator of human success and happiness.
Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson share in a recent discussion, “Brains are highly variable, changing systems that shift in response to our experience. Contemplative neuroscience proves that we have the power to guide our brain’s ongoing development – to cultivate happiness and compassion. We can activate our brains to recover from stress and anxiety, and conquer fear”
“Parents and teachers tell kids countless times to “calm down” or “pay attention.” But the natural course of a child’s development means that the brain’s circuitry for calming and focusing is a work in progress – those neural systems are still growing. They will be shaped by the experiences kids have and we can help by giving children systematic lessons that will strengthen those budding capacities.”
Parents can help their children find happiness within themselves more often by encouraging them to not only to think for themselves but also to recognize the feelings their own thoughts generate.
Fostering emotional intelligence in children requires teaching kids that their feelings and emotions and those of others are very important and need to be recognized, and doing so helps in the development of their cognitive reasoning process.
S.M.I.L.E - Support, Motivate, Inspire, Love and Educate
The goal of An Exercise in Happiness©, is to provide parents and teachers a tool to recognize, nurture and build upon the natural inherent goodness in every child. This is done by providing them with lessons and activities that facilitate emotional, social and character development.
Parents and teachers are encouraged to be mindfully active participants in An Exercise in Happiness© with your kids throughout the 30 day program.
This is what is meant by S.M.I.L.E: 
Support your children by helping them set expectations for themselves and their own lives.
Motivate your children to focus on what provides them true feelings of happiness.
Inspire your children by being the person you want them to be.
Love the wonders of life with your children every day and
Educate your children by sharing with them the lessons you have learned.
With An Exercise in Happiness© kids have an opportunity to actually experience the emotions that promote health, peace and happiness, which in turn lead to experiencing success in all areas of life.
To gain any control over anything requires an understanding of how it is that which we choose to control actually operates. The same logic holds true in instilling emotional intelligence. We need to give our children the opportunity to recognize the emotions they feel, why they feel them and how these emotions affect their lives and the lives of those around them, and most importantly how they can change them. Another critical aspect to the emotional growth exercises is developing the ability to recognize and react positively to the emotions of others.
Emotional intelligence plays an extremely important role in the development of happy and healthy children and provides them with benefits that will help them flourish into adulthood. In fact, Mark Greenburg, Professor of Psychology and chair of the Penn State Prevention Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development said in a recent panel discussion headed by Daniel Goleman, “Social and Emotional Learning in schools is critically important and that the effect can change the lives of millions of American children.”
If you want to learn more and give your children an introduction to the science of happiness with The Ultimate Kid’s Guide to Happiness©, a FREE e-book from Patrick you can download it here >>
