Our children are amazing! They may not have an academic understanding of what is going on around them, but they do know a lot about things that help them understand the world around them.

Just as some children have more talent for physical activity or for creating things, some children can be more talented than others at emotional intelligence, and it shows at a young age.

An emotionally intelligent child notices facial expressions and can understand their meaning. They know the outward signs of emotional expression.

Later in life this will help them gauge the behavior of those around them based on emotional state, but as pre-K children, these expressions are new and may even be fun.

They delight in pointing out facial expressions in photographs or picture books, and can explain what these facial expressions mean.

Children who are emotionally intelligent are usually willing to discuss their feelings.

They can describe their emotions well. Our children may not know a lot of words for their emotions, but they can use what words they do know to express how they are feeling.

Parents can help teach emotional awareness. With a rich emotional vocabulary, children can understand their emotions, a skill which will help them through adulthood as well.

However, even young children can find ways to illustrate their emotional state.

With an understanding of their own emotions and the ability to read emotions from people’s facial expressions comes the ability to empathize.

Once a child becomes aware of the emotions of others, they can apply knowledge of their own emotional states to the behavior and body language of other people.

In small children, this is evoked as concern for other people and animals. They want to see others happy and express concern or try to help when others are sad.

Children with high emotional intelligence might seem slow to react to things. They take a look around, assessing the situation before reacting.

Their actions are very deliberate and their behavior very observant.

Their slow reaction is the result of taking the time to process their emotions and reactions. They consider how to behave before acting.

Many adults do not even recognize why their emotional states are the way they are, and psychotherapists make billions each year helping them figure it out.

Emotionally intelligent children are self-observant, and recognize the connection between their emotions and the things around them that trigger emotions.

They know themselves, and why they feel the way they do, and can speak very confidently about it.