Why I built EQ Ninjas
The problem showed up at home.
As an adult, I realized I did not always have the emotional skills to regulate myself. That became especially clear when I became a parent. I sometimes found myself blowing up at my children even when that was the last thing I wanted to do.
I had to learn how to notice what was happening inside me, slow down, and respond differently. Then I had to figure out how to teach those same skills to my children in a way they could understand and practice.
I wanted kids to practice, not just listen.
Emotional skills are hard to learn when emotions are already high. Kids need plain language, repetition, and time to practice while they are calm.
That idea became EQ Ninjas: short app lessons, stories, activities, a belt system that makes progress visible, and printable materials that help parents follow up at home.
How the research shaped the program
The research shaped how EQ Ninjas teaches each skill.
My doctoral research looked at how emotional intelligence is defined and taught. Different models use different terms, but they keep coming back to the same skills: noticing emotions, managing reactions, recovering from setbacks, understanding other people, and building healthy relationships.
Practice helps skills grow
Research reviews and meta-analyses have found that emotional intelligence skills can improve through structured training. Every child progresses differently, and these skills take consistent practice.
Children learn through examples
Stories and scenarios show children what a skill looks like in a situation they understand. Activities then give them a chance to use it.
Skills build one step at a time
EQ Ninjas starts with noticing feelings, then builds toward self-regulation, resilience, empathy, and relationships. Later lessons return to earlier skills instead of treating them as one-time topics.
See selected sources from Cory's doctoral research
- Hodzic et al. (2017), How Efficient Are Emotional Intelligence Trainings: A Meta-Analysis
- Kotsou et al. (2018), Improving Emotional Intelligence: A Systematic Review of Existing Work and Future Challenges
- Nelis et al. (2009), Increasing Emotional Intelligence: (How) Is It Possible?
- Papoutsi et al. (2024), The Park of Emotions: A Serious Game for the Development of Emotional Intelligence in Children
What I want parents to know
You do not need to have this figured out first.
I was not getting this right at home. I sometimes lost my temper with my kids, then wished I had handled the moment differently. I had to learn these skills myself before I could teach them to my children.
Big feelings are not the problem. The goal is to help children understand what is happening and practice what to do next. You can learn and practice with them.
Dr. Cory Cummings
Founder of EQ Ninjas
Doctor of Strategic Leadership, Regent University