Nurturing and responsive care fosters healthy social and emotional development in early childhood.
At a Glance
Social-emotional development helps kids build a foundation for healthy social relationships.
Social-emotional learning (SEL) programs can also teach helpful skills that can help kids thrive.
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They are the primary source of care and learning for a child.
Throughout the toddler years, temper tantrums are quite common.
There’s a good reason why people often refer to this stage as the “terrible twos”!
Toddlers tend to have rapid mood swings.
While their emotions can be very intense, these feelings also tend to be quite short-lived.
Children at this age can be very possessive and have difficulty sharing.
Learning to get along with other children is an essential skill, however.
Emotional development and social skills are essential for school readiness.
Model Appropriate Behaviors
Observation plays a vital role in how young children learn new things.
Start by inquiring about your child’s own feelings, asking about events in your child’s life.
“How did you feel when you lost your toy?”
“How did that story make you feel?”
“How do you think Nadia felt when you took away the toy she was playing with?”
Teach Cooperation
Cooperation is one skill that benefits tremendously from direct experience.
As children play and interact, they also begin to develop socialproblem-solving skills.
Failing to reach certain social or emotional milestones might indicate a developmental issue requiring further evaluation and intervention.
Identifying these early on can help caregivers and medical professionals provide the support and intervention kids need to thrive.
Such programs help children with their emotional, interpersonal, andexecutive functionskills.
Research suggests that these programs can effectively improve social and emotional competencies.
Early experiences can shape these skills.
Parents and caregivers can help by modeling practical social-emotional skills, reinforcing positive behaviors, and teaching empathy.
Social-emotional learning programs can also be beneficial.
2020;11:561196. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.561196
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Positive parenting tips.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to use rewards.
2022;9(11):1661. doi:10.3390/children9111661
