I look into the eyes of my sons each day and tell them that I love them. I let them know I'm for what life will put them through and try and calm themselves before excitement takes them to paths they do not expect.
I say "try" because they are only two and three years old right now. Being told, "No, you can't have this until after dinner," brings the same effect as "No, you can't have this at all". A lack of EI is clear in my kids, but I see its development as they age. I feel that despite their lessons, they can never master it because they are living and breathing people.
The best method for me to employ EI is by asking myself a question. When I begin to move towards a goal, I've started asking myself, "Why". What is the emotion driving me? Why have I "started" pursuing that goal? It helps prevent me from some embarrassing issues. Though, like my sons, I am a living and breathing human being. I can't prevent myself from erring, but I can mitigate the errors that will inevitably come with practice.
RE: Emotional Intelligence