Social and Emotional Development
Ask a teacher who works with young kids about the most important things for them to learn at the start of the school year and you might be surprised! Many teachers for little ones spend a lot of time, especially at the beginning, on skills that aren’t about reading, writing, or math.
Social-emotional skills are about making friends, expressing feelings appropriately, dealing with problems with friends and understanding how others feel. We learn these skills best when we play and have good relationships with family and friends. It’s important to teach these skills intentionally because they don’t always come naturally.
Here Are Some Ways You Can Help Your Child Learn These Important Skills:
- Spend Special Time Together: Every day, spend at least 10 minutes doing something special with your child. This shows them how much you care about them and your relationship.
- Read Books Together: Books are a great way to learn about feelings and how to talk about them. They also help us see that people can be similar or different, and we can appreciate those differences. Some books show how characters deal with problems, teaching us about empathy, persistence, and having a “growth mindset” – believing we can learn and get better at things with practice.
- Play and Do Simple Tasks Together: Whether it’s playing games, going for walks, or doing household chores, spending time together is valuable. Children love to be part of activities.
- Talk About Feelings: Share your emotions and talk about how you handle them. Let your child do the same. This sets a good example for expressing and managing feelings. Turn it into a game – talk about what makes you frustrated and let your child show their “frustrated” face. Discuss healthy ways to manage stress and anxiety, like taking walks, deep breaths, talking about it, or finding solutions together.
Learning social-emotional skills is a journey that lasts a lifetime. Kids under the age of 5 are just starting this journey and they look to you and other caregivers for love, guidance, comfort, and assurance as they develop these skills.
