Build your children’s emotional intelligence - Dr SK Frimpong to parents

An educationist and Technical Economic Advisor at the Office of the Vice President, Dr S.K. Frimpong, has reiterated the need for society, especially parents and caregivers, to take responsibility for building children’s emotional intelligence consciously.

Dr Frimpong made the assertions at the launch of a book, ‘My child My future’, authored by James Kwesi Addison, on Sunday, April 11.

The book takes readers on a journey of self-discovery in understanding children’s emotional dynamics.

It’s a guide for parents and caregivers to build a positive relationship with children and help them equally build self-confidence and self-esteem that will make them resilient.

Guest speaker at the book launch, Dr Frimpong was emphatic on how parents and caregivers prepare children for life challenges.

“In our zeal to train our children to be better future leaders, we may end up over protecting them or giving them low care. As parents, the degree of our emotional intelligence in our children’s upbringing would determine the degree of their success in all aspects of life,” he stated.

Dr S.K Frimpong, who is also the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of Academic City College, asserted that children of late are losing such indispensable social and emotional skills needed to leverage knowledge, adding: “I am delighted that this book helps us bridge the gap between our emotional intelligence and its transition to our next generation.”

The author, James Kwesi Addison, a certified emotional intelligence coach, gave reason for publishing the book.

“In the year 2016, a new revolution was launched, but this time it was an emotional intelligence revolution. A simple, non-violent revolution to ensure we are intelligent with our emotions. I have represented Ghana in Nigeria, Dubai, United Kingdom and Zambia, to mention a few. Now calls begin to come for a book to be written that my people can relate to. Regarding all other areas of emotional intelligence, I decided to look at children first. My targets audience are Parents, Educators and General caregivers. It is easier to build stronger children than repair broken adults; therefore, it is essential to offer children a good start for a responsible tomorrow,” he explained.

Dr S. K Frimpong, an economist and philanthropist, further encouraged philanthropists, opinion leaders, and donors to support initiatives that develop children’s emotional intelligence.

“We often visit orphanages with food and clothes. We have all paid little or no attention to the Caregivers’ emotional intelligence levels and their implication on the children living in these orphanages. Research reveals that children living in these orphanages experience some emotional experiences such as loneliness, entrapment, deprivation, rejection and helplessness,” he added

The special guest of honour for the event, Odeefuo Afankwa III, who is also the Paramount Chief of Breman Essiam Traditional Area and a Member of the Council of State, commended the author for the initiative.

An educationist himself, the chief further said: “I hope that parents, educators, all categories and the manner of caregivers will make this book one of their useful books. I am very much convinced that this book will serve as good reference material for Ghana’s Education Service as we develop a new pathway in education aimed at educating the head, the heart and the hand.”

History attests that lack of emotional intelligence in parents and caregivers has caused the disintegration of prominent families and been the root cause of the fall of some great cultures.

The book, My Child My Future, is the first emotional intelligence book authored by a Ghanaian.

Chapter 3 of the book accounts for why caregivers’ emotional intelligence is essential.

It explains that caregivers must be fully aware that emotional intelligence is the basic sustainer of solid families, societies and great nations.