Socio-emotional Development in Young Children
How to Support Emotional Development
Supporting Emotional Development
Professional Development Programs
Socio-emotional Development in Young Children
The socio-emotional development
of young children refers to a child’s feelings about himself, the people
around him and the world in which he lives and plays.
His emotional development encompasses a wide range of skills and attributes.
Children learn resiliency to overcome daily conflicts. They utilize self-esteem
to adjust to new situations and tasks. They seek friends and offer comfort to
peers. The socio-emotional attributes affect their behavior, their overall mood
and their relationship with others.
How to
Support Emotional Development
Physical development of a young child is easy to spot. A baby’s movements
follow a predicted path: pushing up, rolling over, crawling, standing, walking
and running. While each infant develops at a different rate, ranges for physical
development allow physicians to diagnose developmental delays or lags. A red
flag emerges for the six month old who has not rolled over, the 12 month old
who doesn’t stand.
Just as a young child’s physical needs must be met, so too a child’s emotional development must be supported. And like physical development, emotional development varies from child to child, from temperament to temperament. A child who is naturally shy will be quieter and perhaps less inclined to try new things. An outgoing adventurous preschooler thrives on physical activity.
Socio-emotional development falls into three categories: self-esteem, social skills and emotional intelligence. Self-esteem guides children in their capacity to feel good about themselves, forming the basis of all other skills and capacities for a child’s entire life. Social skills refer to how children interact with their peers and adults, make friends and act in different situations. It is not be confused with simple politeness and manners. Components of social skills include empathy, assertiveness, problem solving and self-expression. Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand our emotions and the emotions of others and use that information to help others and ourselves. Valuing and dealing with our emotions leads to happiness and success, a process that begins with young children and continues into adulthood.
Supporting
Emotional Development
Parents, teachers and caregivers must encourage young children, listen and respond
to their needs. Some basic tenets to follow include
1. Show respect by not yelling
at children.
2. Be a good listener.
3. Encourage, not just praise.
4. Tell your child he is loved, talented and capable.
5. Give a child positive attention and feedback.
6. Use distraction to help a young child move away from a problem situation.
7. Teach young children words to use to express themselves.
8. Model compromise in your interactions with your child.
9. Teach your child calming techniques such as deep breathing
10. Don’t react to negative behavior.
Every child has good days and bad days. A child’s temperament greatly affects his behavior and interactions with people. All children have tantrums, argue with friends and parents or whine. Some children are naturally shy and need encouragement to play with other children. Other children are very active and need to learn to “sit still” for certain periods of the day. Each child’s behavior, while different and at times worrisome, is typical for a preschooler.
However, some children may exhibit certain tendencies and negative behaviors that are not typical for young children. A child who is overly aggressive, a child who has extreme difficulty transitioning to new experiences, a child who bangs his head in frustration….each describe a child who may need to be evaluated. The “red flags” include behaviors that occur frequently on a regular, extended basis.
Often the differences in typical and atypical behaviors are a matter of frequency, intensity and duration. How often does the behavior occur, once a week, once a day, or once an hour? How long does it last, a few minutes, a few hours, most of the day? How intense is the behavior? Is the child pushing out of anger or pushing to hurt someone?
If you are concerned about the emotional well being of a young child in your care, begin to document the negative behaviors or concerns. If you notice a pattern of negative behavior, talk to the parent about your concerns. Meet with the parent, providing ample time for discussion. Ask about the child’s behavior at home with other siblings and other family members. Are the behaviors present while the child plays or at mealtime? Are the negative behaviors only occurring in child care? Information form the family can help caregivers in their dealings with the child and family. Be able to give the parent information about assessment and evaluations. Union County residents can call the Special Child Health Services at 908-889-0950 for an initial consultation. The family’s primary healthcare provider can assist in an evaluation process.
Links for Additional Information
http://www.ccccunion.org/pages/news.html
http://www.zerotothree.org/tips/social-emotional.html
The information below is a partial list of products recently recalled by individual companies and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. For a complete list, visit www.cpsc.gov
Grow-To-Pro® Pogo Sticks by Fisher Price
Lil’ Wagster Dragster push toys by Fisher Price
Lov’s Decorated Orthodontic Pacifiers by Delta Enterprise Corp.
Flashing Pacifiers or 2-in-1 Flashing Pacifiers with Whistle Necklaces by Solar Inc.
My First Crayon-Balls™ and My First Crayon-Ball™ Activity Sets by Baja Products
Children’s fishing poles by W.C. Bradley/Zebco Holdings Inc. doing business as Zebco
Infants and Toddler Overalls by Carter
Light-up Pacifiers by California International Trading
New Style Piano Toys by California International Trading
High Toys Choochoo Toy Trains by California International Trading
Okie Dokie® Striped Bodysuits with Puffy Appliqué by JC Penney
Children’s folding chairs by Atico International USA Inc.
Professional Development Programs
Join us Wednesday, June 8 for SIDS in Child Care 7 pm – 9 pm at CCCC Offices
Keep all the children in your care safe this summer. Read prevention information from the American Academy of Pediatrics at http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/summertips.htm