Ask the Expert: Nurturing Emotional Intelligence From Early Childhood

Helping children recognize, express, and manage their emotions is just as important as teaching them to walk and talk. Emotional intelligence shapes how kids handle challenges, build relationships, and develop self-confidence—starting from their earliest years and continuing through childhood. This week, we have Meeta Gupta Hari, Counsellor at Reconnect Singapore, joining us for an exclusive Ask the Expert session! Whether you're navigating toddler tantrums, guiding a school-aged child through friendships, or wondering how to foster emotional awareness at home, this is your chance to ask an expert. 💬 Drop your questions from March 19-25 📅 Live answering session: March 26 at 12 PM Let’s equip our kids with the emotional tools they need for life. Ask your questions in the comments below! ⬇️ #AskTheExpert #RaisingEmotionallyStrongKids #ParentingTips #ChildDevelopment

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Hi... My 5-year-old daughter gets upset easily when she cannot do something right, like if she’s colouring outside the lines or her blocks fall apart... is it normal? Sometimes I feel sad seeing her like that. Idk, it's always a mixed feelings. Sometimes I also feel overwhelmed when she gets frustrated out of a little thing, but i know i have to regulate my emotion

Meeta Gupta Hari

Counsellor at Reconnect Singapore

8mo ago

Dear Anon, Thank you for writing in. You’re absolutely right in recognizing the importance of regulating your emotions. As parents, we need to be calm in our children's storms. Children learn from more from our actions than our words. If they see us getting upset over our mistakes, they may learn that mistakes are not good. If we show in our actions that we are all human and we all make mistakes, they will be more forgiving with their mistakes. It’s completely normal for a 5-year-old to get frustrated easily. When that happens, you can use it as an opportunity to reflect and guide them. You might say something like, “I can see you're frustrated because your blocks fell. I feel frustrated too when things don’t go as planned. What helps me is taking a few deep breaths, stepping away for a moment, and then coming back to solve the problem.” This approach will not only help you handle the situation calmly but also model how to manage frustration for your child. All the best!

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