Building Emotional Intelligence: Practices to Cultivate Inner Resilience in Children

by Linda Lantieri, Daniel Goleman

What's the most important piece of your child's educational experience? If you think it's math, science, or reading, you might be overlooking an essential the capacity known as inner resilience. In Building Emotional Intelligence, Linda Lantieri presents a breakthrough guide to help children respond to and rebound from the challenges unique to our times.
For educators, counselors, parents, and caregivers, this book offers practical techniques proven to help children increase self-esteem, improve concentration and awareness, and enhance empathy and communication. Step by step, children will learn how to quiet their minds, calm their bodies, and manage their emotions more skillfully. This powerful guide is arranged according to age group and complemented by spoken-word exercises presented by bestselling author Daniel Goleman.

Includes digital access to audio tracks.  

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Education, Psychology, Childrens, Teaching, Mental Health

177 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2008

Reviews

[sleeps9hours · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Emotional Intelligence” has been somewhat discredited as far as being separate from what psychologists call “g” or general intelligence, but it’s still helpful to think about nurturing our kids’ emotional selves. Contains a CD with guided meditations for kids.

p. 11 The fact is that an increasing number of children are entering schools in crisis, unprepared cognitively and emotionally to learn. At the same time, educators confront the challenge of higher public expectations while dealing with diminishing internal resources to do their jobs well.
We often mistake the symptoms of unmanaged stress in our children as inappropriate behavior that needs to be stopped. Children are reprimanded by teachers and parents for actions that are really stress reactions, rather than intentional misbehavior. The situation becomes a downward spiral of one stress reaction after another, and both adult and child are caught in it.

p. 16 Children’s social and emotional functioning and behavior begin to stabilize around the age of 8, and can predict the state of their behavior and mental health later in life (L. R. Huesmann and N. G. Guerra, “Children’s normative beliefs about aggression and aggressive behavior” JPSP 72, no 2 (1997) 408-419).

Tobin Hart’s book The secret spiritual world of children, “Mostly we teach by who we are and how we live. Our own development and that of our children are intertwined –we grow together.” It is important to be as committed to the development of your own inner life as you are to your child’s inner life.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but not incredibly helpful. I need to stop reading these.

[David Hunter · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a little bit of a scam. The author covers two techniques: a body-scanning / sequential muscle relaxing technique, and a very basic mindfulness technique. While I appreciate the details and extensions that the author has written, this book is only 160 pages long and it covers these two techniques three times (once for three different age groups), with slightly varying scripts for parents / educators to read each time.

If you want to know more techniques, there are a wide range of websites and books that have a much wider variety of activities that cover all 5 of the major areas of social-emotional learning, not just self-awareness.

[vlad popescu · Rating 3 out of 5]

O carte utilă, plină de exemple și exerciții concrete, împărțite pe 3 categorii de vârstă.
O parte dintre explicații se găsesc și sub formă de material audio, care ar trebui să ușureze aplicarea tehnicilor, în lucrul cu copiii.
Partea mai puțin pozitivă a cărții este că majoritatea tehnicilor propuse se repetă, iar materialul nu are profunzime, arătând mai degrabă cu un amestec de idei preluate din alte cărți.
Deoarece jocul cu ”cutia magică” l-a ținut pe cel mic ocupat câteva ore, merită , totuși, trei stele.

[Celine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is really only a tiny piece in seeing whether the content helps. It's all driven by the CD and exercises mentioned and I'm looking forward to trying it out in the coming weeks and observe if we all gain awareness and mindfulness while practicing some of the activity that the book and CD guide through

[Cassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning of this book offers some information about emotional intelligence and why it's important. The last few chapters then focus on specific age groups. I actually found a lot of this book to be common sense. I did not use the audio to do the extended activities. Perhaps it would have been better if I did???

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very secular! Guided (new age/secular) meditation aimed at children. Focuses on "mindfulness", breathing techniques and physical relaxation. :-/

2 stars (vs. 1) for some helpful practical advice on the surface, but ultimately not worth wading through the icky new age beliefs.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

You need the CD to actually implement and teach these skills to kids (I was on ebook) Parenting should focus more on these issues to prepare for life. Would help kids face anxiety etc as they grow up

[Ingeborg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful advice for teenagers!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I skimmed this book. Seems to have good tips for using relaxation and mindfulness with kids. Good for beginners.

[Ahdom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is less of an informational book as it more of a direct application of the concepts of mindfulness in a way that introduces them as a bonding experience of mutual discovery. I plan to put in to practice many of the things that's suggested as I want these concepts to be something that my kids have a connection with. Everything I read that is in the arena of self help, neuroscience, and psychology seems to point to the practice of mindfulness as a way to afford yourself a better experience on the journey of learning and gaining wisdom. I think mindfulness is perhaps the best tool you can have in terms of opportunities to self author your life and achieve the goals you want. It also helps you make better choices by being in the moment and noticing your thought process. The side effects of making this a big part of your life seems to be more personal happiness. While there are many books out there on the subject, this one is designed for action and not necessarily focused on arguing it's merits. That being said, I expect years of me diving into this subject and trying different things. I will update once I start implementing the CD and the scripts as the book intended.

[Rebecca Carranza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely, well-researched book that left me wanting more. Lantieri presents two essential strategies for building resilience in children at a variety of ages - progressive relaxation and being present in the moment. An easy read and important for all parents, teachers, administrators - anyone who works, plays, or lives with children.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book - wonderful ideas to help our children reach their full potenital.

[Andrea Johnson]

Pretty good. Kind of hokey in parts but has some techniques to help your own children or those you teach.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't actually read the whole thing. It came with a CD with exercises. Seemed like too much work.

[Michelle]

Very insightful

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm so impressed that we are now teaching this to children in many schools. It's invaluable.