Teaching Your Children Emotional Intelligence

As parents, we all want our children to succeed in both the academic and the emotional realms of their lives. Oftentimes parents and teachers become so focused on the academic realm that they neglect the emotional one.  He wrote a groundbreaking book titled, Emotional Intelligence: Why it Can Matter More than IQ. In his book Goleman redefines what it means to be smart and how we can teach our children emotional skills very early in their lives. He also explains why new brain research indicates that children's ability to deal effectively with emotions (E.Q.) can be a better indicator of life success that their intelligence (I.Q.)
This article will address ideas on how to help increase children's emotional awareness so they can increase their chances for a more fulfilling life.. This includes happiness and success in every aspect of life from career and personal relationships to health and well-being. We can teach our children how to be more emotionally intelligent.
Emotional Intelligence consists of five characteristics. These are (1) emotional self-awareness, (2) managing feelings or self-regulation, (3) self-motivation, (4) empathy and (5) relationship skills.
The first one, self-awareness, is about knowing oneself- knowing ones feelings, knowing what one likes,, wants, feels comfortable about and in general being attuned to one's needs. People who are smart about this make better decisions about who they marry or what job they take. These are decisions that can affect one for a lifetime. We can promote self-awareness by respecting children's feelings, taking feelings seriously, listening and trying to understand what the child communicates both verbally and non-verbally. This helps the child feel valued, validated, understood and raises self-esteem and self-acceptance.
The second characteristic is self regulation and managing one's feelings. This involves handling one's emotions, especially anger, anxiety, and frustration. Adults can be good role models for how to appropriately and effectively handle these emotions. Accepting children's feelings (this does not mean accepting inappropriate behaviors) is very helpful to children in learning how to self-soothe and calm themselves and relax. Children need to learn that emotions have a function and need to be managed effectively and how to bounce back from setbacks and upsets. They need help learning how to move beyond rumination of feelings to developing an effective action plan. We need to discuss and talk about this repetitively and encourage children to seek and use help and support from others. We can also encourage a sense of humor about life's small upsets. Learning these skills can help alleviate feelings of chronic stress and development of illnesses related to stress.
The third characteristic, self-motivation, is critical for success in life. It is difficult to achieve in life without motivation and persistence in the face of setbacks. Self-motivation skills involve self-control, delaying gratification, controlling impulsiveness and promoting persistence. We need to help children set realistic goals and meet them. Optimism and hope can be modeled and an attitude of "you can make things happen" and "I believe in you" are important messages for parents and teachers to impart.
The fourth characteristic is empathy, the ability to recognize emotions in others and take on their perspective as well as show concern and caring for them. This is about the ability to read others both verbally and nonverbally and tune in to them and mirror them. We need to encourage children to put themselves in others shoes to promote morality and altruism which helps not only in personal relationships but in creating a better world.
The fifth and final characteristic is relationship skills. This involves social competence, making friends, becoming leaders, learning to compromise, problem-solve, and resolve conflicts. Children need adults to teach and model these skills as well as encourage them to be assertive, skilled communicators, cooperative, helpful and sharing. They need coaching to be able to give compliments, apologize when wrong, appreciate others and develop a sense of humor.
In summary these five characteristics are predictors of how successful children will be at work, in relationships and with their own health. We have the opportunity to teach, model and nurture emotional intelligence. It is important to begin as young as possible because childhood lessons will become lifelong habits. Upsets and acting out behaviors are golden opportunities for us to act as emotional coaches. In so doing, we will be able to take children's feelings seriously and understand why something is upsetting them. Parents, teachers and other adults can help children find positive ways to self-soothe and become comfortable with handling life stresses and frustrations.

Mental Illness Among Children Turning Into An Epidemic

The alarming rise in the number of children suffering from mental illness has led professional psychologists to probe into the causes of the problem. Research conducted by them revealed that an array of reasons starting from biological problems to environmental cause to psychological problems can result in the psychological disorientation of the children. Most often it can be seen that kids suffering from such conditions behave wildly. The parents should keep an eye on the behavior of their wards. If they observe that they is no change in the conduct of their son or daughter for a long time, they should take recourse to professional help as soon as possible.

If the kid is suffering from a psychological problem due to biological factors prenatal injury, infection, nerve problem or any other similar problems the parents should consult a specialist in this genre, get a proper diagnosis and start the treatment as soon as possible. Apart from these, it is repeatedly seen that kids especially adolescents suffer from mental illness due to various psychological factors like harassment in the school, physical abuse, hostility in the family, divorce and similar problems. Even environmental causes like shifting to a new school or if the child feels inadequate and incompetent can lead to serious psychological disorder. If these issues are not treated immediately it may gradually take up a monstrous shape and result in further complication.

A dynamic change is visible in the society of the 21st century which has also unknowingly contributed to the rising rate of Mental illness in children. Depression is one of the mental sicknesses that are affecting many children. While mood swing is a very common phenomenon, but when this condition continues to persist in the kids for an extensive span of time, the parents should immediately consult a psychologist and seek for his professional help. It is not possible to single out any particular cause behind depression. Accumulation of series of social and environmental causes ultimately results in such a serious problem. The cut throat competition of 21st century along with the increasing expectation of the parents has a direct impact on this particular variety of psychological distress. But these are not the only factors resulting in depression, low self esteem, negative incidents and events in one's life has also contributed to such psychological state.

Poverty among children among from underprivileged background may also result in serious mental trauma. The delicate mind of the young ones can either become exceedingly strong when it encounter such problem or else result in depression or any other kind of psychological problem. Physically abusing the child, neglect and even sexual abuse are some of the serious dilemma that is faced by many children in their tender age. Any kind of abuse has a direct impact on the psychological conditions of the kids. The parents should communicate freely with their children. If they are find out any abnormality in their behavior, they should take serious steps to find out the reason behind it.

Many psychiatric centres especially for the children are present for treatment of Mental illness in children. If the problem is serious, the kids should be admitted in these centers to recover fully. Moreover, these institutes are affiliated to schools as well. So the overall well being of the child is taken into consideration.

PTSD Prevention

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a normal response by normal people to an abnormal event. The severity of the exposure to the event represents a threat to their physical or psychological well-being. As such, the traumatic event overwhelms normal coping responses and challenges their ability to cope. The result is traumatic stress.
These types of events include rape or other types of assault, childhood sexual or physical abuse, family violence, accidents and other life threatening situations. Common responses are anxiety about a possible recurrence, confusion, difficulty in concentration, memory problems; temporary mood swings, general changes in temperament and irritability; flashbacks or reliving the event emotionally; sleep problems and/or nightmares; a change of appetite; emotional distress caused by events that remind you of the traumatic event; a desire to avoid anything that might remind you of the traumatic event; diminished interest in significant activities (work, social, or family); feeling depressed, detached, or estranged from others; shortness of temper, angry feelings, or a lack of patience with yourself or others; increased health problems; increased use of alcohol or drugs; depression, decreased energy, tearfulness, and loss of pleasure.
If several of these symptoms are present, it is advisable to seek professional help. Unresolved trauma can have a tragic impact on the life and choices made by the individual exposed to these types of events. For many, the painful feelings can continue for a long time despite attempts to cope. Others seem to manage well for a time and then find themselves distressed months or years later.
Early intervention, ideally during the first three months, is key to returning to a normal life that avoids PTSD. Treatment will be shorter and save the individual the pain of symptoms and choices that can have a negative affect on their life. While it is preferable to get professional help within the first three months, those who find themselves struggling with stress due to a traumatic event can find help through internationally recognized therapies for PTSD, such as EMDR.
As with all mental health issues, finding a qualified therapist who specializes in this particular disorder is important. Finding networks or specific organizations or practices that have providers trained in PTSD therapies is ideal. It is usually best to choose a therapist who is licensed by the regulatory board in your state. Licensing typically ensures that a therapist has obtained a graduate degree and one or more years of post-licensure training and supervision. It also gives recourse to the regulatory board should a question of poor treatment or ethical misconduct arise.

Deciphering 90 Years of Brain Function Data

Thousands of children and adults from different countries and with different mental capacities participated in longitudinal scientific evaluations. Today's lesson is in cognitive epidemiology where we will connect the dots between brain function and physical health from accumulated research data gathered over the past 90 years.
Together, these large population studies reveal strong links between good brain function and physical health. Lower intelligence correlates with high health risks of many diseases and illnesses. The population risk factor increases gradually as the intelligence scale decreases.
Researchers sifted through mountains of information and uncovered some fascinating unequivocal findings of correlating trends. A clear pattern is formed from the mental scores of a myriad of tests.
It stands to reason that humans who use their brains make wiser choices than those with less intelligence. It seems logical that wiser individuals would make more healthy choices like not smoking or drinking and taking drugs. The lower a person's measured intelligence, the greater risk of living a shorter life, having more accidents, developing more diseases, committing more suicide, and endangering themselves and others in ways like having accidents.
The following evidence comes from a survey of nearly one million Scandinavian military men. Connecting the dots of young people in their twenties with lower intelligence face greater risks of developing crisis during mid-life, especially in illnesses, depression, mood disorders, and alcohol-related problems. The correlation continued to the increased potential of physical harm and time spent in the hospital.
As the participants with low intelligence test scores got older, there was a stronger implication towards poorer health. Research of the Vietnam Experience Study cohort confirmed the same trend as did the study of British and Swedish school children.
Here is a quote from Scientific American Mind magazine dated July/August 2011, "Data on unintentional injuries such as those received in traffic accidents also matched this trend, with a doubling of risk for individuals at the lower end of the intelligence range as compared to those at the top."
Researchers in 2008 investigated a landmark study known as the Scottish Mental Survey of 1932 where virtually the whole population of school children (87,498) were evaluated over years. The report indicates that those with lower mental scores from the childhood test were a higher risk for late-onset vascular dementia but not Alzheimer's type of dementia. The cause of vascular dementia is tied to physical health risk factors as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension acerbated by poor diet.
Several research studies have been evaluated and correlated lower intelligence with later cardiovascular disease. This again is probably due to smoking and other poor life choices. We know that intelligent response is regulated up or down by the amount of pure oxygen supplied to the brain. The oxygen factor is further regulated up or down by the integrity of your cardiovascular system. Toxins damage the oxygen intake.
The poor mental development of the fetus and that of a newly born baby contributes to a life-time of poor mental health. Many of the Royal Sugars which I often call Smart Sugars discussed in these lessons are present in human mother's breast milk. Studies show that the infant immune system depends on these sugars. Other studies show that an infant's mental capacity is improved with the sugars and that the intelligence remains over the years. Those young people made better grades in college than those who were not fed human mother's milk when they were babies.
Smart Sugars with other excellent nutrients are needed to maintain and improve brain function. Improve your brain function and you lower your risk factor for diseases and accidents, and raise the bar for a longer life expectancy with more alertness, vitality, and improved motor skills.

A Smart Sugar Protects Brain Cells From Inflammation

This historic discovery may change the way doctors deal with the brain. New evidence published April 30, 2012 indicates that the sugar Trehalose suppresses cerebral inflammation which normally results in high mortality.
Protecting and improving brain cells should be top priority in the future of medicine and healthcare. When we improve brain function, we address over 600 diseases directly and all other human illnesses indirectly. The better the brain functions, the more effective are the motor and mental skills.
Trehalose can protect the brain! More specifically, it protects the arachnoid mater which is the protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. This protection extends to the subarachnoid cavity of the central nervous system following cerebral vasospasm. New findings indicate that the sugar Trehalose prevents oxidative degradation of the lipids caused by free radical electrons in the cell membranes.
In the researchers' words, "The study suggest that Trehalose has suppressive effects on various pathological events after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), including vasospasm, inflammatory responses, and lipid peroxidation. Trehalose may be a new therapeutic approach for treatment of complications after SAH."
The sugar maltose, another disaccharide did not have the positive effects as did Trehalose. Both Trehalose and maltose are two glucose molecules bonded together. The two glucose molecules forming Trehalose are linked by a,a-1,1-glycosidic bond. This unique bond actually causes a function in physics beyond simple chemistry and requires further study. Inquiring minds may wish to read about the quantum physics of sugars. This emerging science is known as quantum glycobiology.
Traumatic brain injury often results in neuroinflammation. It is medically accepted that brain cell inflammation can cause additional brain damage as more neurotoxins are released.
Immunoactivation using specific sugars continues to be reported and supported by university studies around the world. Compounding evidence is changing the world of medicine and healthcare. Advanced studies in smart sugars reveal new ways and means of improving brain function.
It is time we, that's US, accept and advance Glycomics, the science of sugars. We are learning how well these sugars function and just how vital they are to the human body. The US in the 1960s was in the Top Ten healthiest countries on the planet. Today, according to WHO we have slipped to 76th. Something is rotten with our sickcare system.
Glycomics is the hope of an individual, a family, and a country for improving brain function and general health.

What You Did Not Know About Attention Deficit Disorder

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a condition where one is not able to concentrate well especially when learning or getting knowledge. The person gets easily distracted and can wonder into his own world very easily. It is a condition that is usually diagnosed in the childhood stage of life. More men have been found to have this disorder as compared to women. This disorder can continue from childhood all the way into adulthood. When one becomes an adult, you may notice them displaying anti-social behavior which is not evident when one is a child.
There is a different type of ADD based on some neurobiological disabilities. This is known as the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, whose acronym is ADHD. No one has fully found out what causes ADHD. Research has found out that ADD can be as a result of a genetic transmission. Another cause of ADD is chemical imbalance or lack of sufficient neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters are responsible for regulation of an individual's behaviour. Further research has found out that the brains of people who have ADD use less glucose compared to the ones who are considered 'normal.'
There are certain symptoms that Attention Deficit Disorder displays in children. Some of them are hyperactivity, lack of being attentive and impulsive behaviour. Lack of being attentive will make the children make silly mistakes while doing their homework, they will easily get distracted, they will not listen and will easily forget what they were doing. Hyperactivity will make the child fidget around a lot. The child will be restless and will have problems with focusing. Impulsive behaviour in children with ADD is characterized by interrupting people who are conversing, being impatient and giving out answers before a question is asked. It has been found out that children with ADHD have difficulty in carrying out meaningful conversations, doing assigned work or doing homework. They have also been found out to be involved in very risky activities. It is for this reason that accidental injuries are more common with children who have ADHD and less with adults who have the same disorder.
Adults who have ADD tend to be careless and display impulsive behaviour. They also have problems with managing their time and organizing themselves. Planning and structuring is usually a difficult task for adults with ADD.
If ADD cannot be treated or controlled early, it will bring problems in the future. It is best to try to diagnose and treat is as early as possible i.e. during childhood.

Homeopathic Remedies For Anxiety And The ADHD Connectio

What is the ADHD and anxiety connection? How can homeopathic remedies for anxiety help with ADHD? Let us take the diagnostic view first. When children are diagnosed with ADHD, they are more than likely to suffer from a co-morbid disorder. As if ADHD was not enough!
In an About Our Kids survey, it was found that up to 25% of children with ADHD also suffer from anxiety. The same figure holds for those diagnosed with anxiety in that ADHD is going to occur in about a quarter of the children.
What are the main co-morbid disorders? The first one is anxiety and depression. The second most common one is oppositional defiance disorder (ODD) followed closely by OCD. The latter stands for obsessive compulsive disorder.
Actually, OCD is very closely related to anxiety because this is where the child becomes over anxious about things that may harm, frighten or dirty his environment. He becomes obsessed with these and will perform repetitive rituals or compulsions in order to protect himself from these. Somebody has appropriately called this disorder an overactive alarm system.
The second almost unknown fact is that the psychostimulant drugs like Adderall and Ritalin, when prescribed for ADHD, often increase anxiety and the child is left feeling very unhappy. This seems to be the antitheses of what a happy childhood should be.
Yet the pharmaceutical companies have played this one down so much that people rarely know anything about it. They know all about the so called heart risks (which actually seem to be almost nil) but nothing about anxiety which is rife!
It seems that psychostimulants are not really the best way of treating anxiety and ADHD. One solution is to take a closer look at homeopathic remedies for anxiety and ADHD. The main ingredients used in a lot of the preparations are aimed at calming the child down which immediately leads to fewer worries. Then they are also effective at helping the child to relax, to focus better and also the child will be much less reckless and impulsive.
The ingredients used are those famous ones such as hyoscyamus, arsen iod and tuberculinum. The great thing about these remedies is that there are no side effects so that sleep problems and eating disorders just do not exist. That is such a relief for many parents. There are no health risks or long term doubts about what these reparations are doing to the developing child's brain.