The Book Series to Inspire Emotional Intelligence in Children.

AD. Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, manage and regulate our emotions. It helps us to control and express our feelings whilst also interpreting and understanding those of others. Emotional intelligence can be strengthened and Author Farid Haque believes it's something we should be teaching our children. Farid has written and published a series of books to do just that. Talking Up is the book series which inspires emotional intelligence in children.

Farid Haque.

Not only is Farid Haque is the face behind the Talking Up books but he's also the founder of Erly Stage Studios, a global start up involved in education and publishing.

Farid has lead an interesting and vibrant life that has seen him live in ten different countries and embark upon numerous non linear career paths. He never set out to become an author. It was since becoming a father & relating his own life experiences to those his daughters may face, that Farid's thoughts turned to writing.

It's challenging subjects such as racial discrimination along with disability discrimination that Farid is so evidentially passionate about eradicating. He believes the best way we can do so is by encouraging emotional intelligence in children. As parents we need to educate not only our children, but ourselves too & the Talking Up series will help us do so.

Talking up: The books which inspire emotional intelligence in children.

Talking up is a series of illustrated children's books by Farid Haque. Each story aims to inspire emotional intelligence in children, in a way that is appropriate from the ages of 4-7.

Through beautifully illustrated animal stories, the Talking Up series touches upon key discussion points. These include kindness, acceptance and appreciation of differences, as well as anger management and understanding disability. Each story provides themes to help children understand challenging issues and encourage emotional intelligence.

1. Temper, temper, tamarin.

'Tamarin is known for having a terrible temper and all his rainforest friends are afraid of him. Can he learn to control his anger even when things don’t go right?'

We all experience anger in some way throughout our lives. As a toddler mum this is something I'm beginning to see in my daughter through temper tantrums & sudden changes in attitude. As she's only two and a half she doesn't quite know how to control her emotions yet, similarly I don't quite know how to handle them yet either.

Encouraging her to feel her emotions is something I'm 100% for. I believe she has just as much right to feel happy, sad or angry the same way an adult would. I personally need to educate myself a bit more on how to deal with the more negative emotions. Temper, temper tamarin crafts emotional intelligence in a way that will help both of us.

2. The beaver and the playtpus.

'Betty the Beaver has never had a neighbour, especially one that looks as odd as Penny the Platypus. How will she cope with a foreign arrival so close to her home?'

Farid uses past experiences dealing with racism and discrimination to tell the story of Betty & Penny. From birth we're subconsciously conditioned to think certain ways. Media as well as society portray images of different races in different ways & quite frankly, it's wrong! This unconscious bias is something Farid wants to make parents aware of to strengthen emotional intelligence in children & eradicate any prejudice.

We live in a very multicultural city meaning my daughter hasn't known any different. Something that worries me for her growing up is that we're planning on moving house, back to the village where my parents are from, a village where the vast majority of people are white and English speaking. Looking to the future I know it's my job to eliminate any racial prejudices and starting her off early with books like The Beaver and the Platypus are going to be the way forward.

3. Born with no horn.

'Mathilda is laughed at by all the other rhinos for not having a horn. A true rhino, she is told, must have a horn and use it wisely.'

Farid uses his life experiences to tell the tale of Mathilda and disability discrimination. He has a family member who was born with a physical disability and what's completely normal for him, isn't the norm for a lot of people.

Unfortunately the majority of people don't really understand how to communicate or be in social situations with a disabled person. And as bad as it sounds, I too probably fall under this category. Everyone in my family is able bodied, likewise I've had very few social experiences with those who aren't. Although I'd like to think I treat others with without prejudice, truth is I legitimately don't know how I'd be in those types of social situations. The thought of that scares me & makes me feel guilty that that's my truth.

I'm pretty good with giving mum guilt the middle finger, but this guilt is something else! I don't want my daughter to feel this way, nor do I, so looking forward I'm going to educate us both! Born with no horn would certainly help eliminate any unconscious bias.

Children are like sponges, they're curious and soak everything up. If as parents we can encourage emotional intelligence in children, we're raising them in a more conscious as well as thoughtful way. There are lots of ways we can develop emotional intelligence in children, but books are definitely a great way to start!

I fully believe that things happen at just the right time in life and this collaboration is no different. My chat with Farid has been eye opening for me. It was such a pleasure conversing with someone who could speak so passionately and eloquently about such difficult situations. My daughter is the perfect age to begin encouraging emotional intelligence with, and as a result of my interview with Farid, I'm looking forward to becoming educated.