How can you tell if your child has high EQ? Celebrity dad Nico puts his daughter Thylane Bolzico to the test. How does she respond to it? Find out here.
What can you read in this article?
- Dad Nico puts Baby Thylane to the EQ test
- How to raise a toddler with high EQ
The adorable duo of dad Nico and daughter Thylane Bolzico are at it again! In celebrity mom Solenn Heussaff’s latest video, she shows her hubby putting their one-year-old daughter to a famous EQ test.
Image from Solenn Heussaff’s Instargram account
As millennial parents have recently learned, it is not enough for your child to be intelligent, they also need to be in touch with their emotions to survive in this ever-changing world.
While having a high IQ (intelligence quotient) is still an advantage, we now see the value of having a high EQ (emotional quotient). We want our child to be able to manage his emotions and be aware of the emotions of others.
One of the early tests to measure a child’s EQ is the “marshmallow test.” It is a famous study conducted on children to see how well they can delay gratification for a much greater reward in the future. Researchers believe that this ability predicts success later in life.
Basically, you put a piece of marshmallow in front of a child and instruct them not to touch it or eat it. If they are able to do that, they will get a bigger reward at the end of the session. The adult leaves the room and observes how the child responds to the instruction.
Dad Nico puts daughter Thylane Bolzico to the test
In the short video (which has now over 400,000 views as of writing), Nico is seen putting their toddler Thylane or Tili to a modified marshmallow test.
He is talking to Thylane (in Spanish) and giving her instructions. This author doesn’t understand Spanish (except for the times El Padre Nico counted the bits of munchies and put them on the lid).
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From what we gathered, he is putting six pieces of munchies in front of Tili and instructing her not to touch them. “No touch,” he says. Then after giving the instructions, he steps out of the room for a few minutes to begin the test. How would little Thylane respond to the challenge?
While it’s totally understandable for children of Tili’s age to give in the moment the grownup leaves the room and eat what’s in front of them, Tili does something really cute!
After patiently sitting and looking at the food in front of her for a little over 10 seconds, she starts calling her Papa. She doesn’t touch the food but instead calls her dad to come back. What a smart move! Thylane Bolzico passes her dad’s quick EQ test with flying colors!
Image from Solenn Heussaff’s Instagram account
READ MORE:
Mom of an Independent Toddler Shares 3 Tips on Helping Child Reach Her Milestones
LOOK: Solenn Heussaff, Nico Bolzico and Thylane on vacation in Spain
Raising a toddler with high EQ
Going back to the topic of EQ, experts believe that emotional intelligence in children refers to grasping and having the following traits and qualities:
- Emotional self-knowledge and self-acceptance
- Sensitivity to the cues of others
- Empathy (defined as the ability to see and feel something from the other’s point of view, or “putting yourself in the shoes of others)
- Self-regulation (the ability to control your emotions and respond in a positive way)
Our toddlers are still in the stage where they are starting to explore and test their independence, and still trying to learn about their emotions while being limited in the communication aspect. So it can be expected that they aren’t in that stage where they have a high EQ.
Image from Freepik
However, it’s never too early to raise an emotionally intelligent child. Here are some ways to nurture your toddler’s EQ:
- Make them feel secure. Note to parents: you can’t spoil a child by being emotionally available. Let your child know that you are there when she needs you. Carry her or give her a hug when she is crying. Respond to her needs when she is calling you.
- Calm your own anxiety. A recent study revealed that parents’ touch, voices, and movements can either soothe a child or make him anxious. So try to be as calm as possible when communicating with your child.
- Don’t punish emotions or try to distract him from his feelings. Let your child be mad or upset. Let her cry, then afterward, help her define how she felt. Give it a name. Tell her it’s okay to feel things, but she can also learn to control her reaction towards them.
- Teach your child to problem-solve. In the video, Mom Solenn could’ve easily stepped in to give Thylane a hand. Yet she just observed and gave Tili time to think of what she wants to do next. To give your child the opportunity to solve things on his own, resist the urge to handle the problem for them unless they ask you to.
Way to go, Thylane! Such a smart little girl. We can’t wait to see more of her growing up.