Preschool Social and Emotional Development
As your child nears school age, it is important that they are given opportunities at home that will help them to build positive characteristics necessary for school success. These qualities take time and practice to learn, and patience from parents and caregivers.
- Confidence: Children who feels good about themselves will believe that they can succeed. Children who are confident are more likely to try new things. They are also less likely to give up or get frustrated if they don’t succeed on their first try.
- Independence: Children must learn to do things for themselves and must be encouraged to do so.
- Motivation: Children must have a desire to learn.
- Curiosity: Children are naturally curious and will get the most from the learning opportunities that are presented to them, if this natural curiosity is nurtured.
- Persistence: Children must learn to finish the things they have started.
- Cooperation: Children must learn to get along well with others, share and take turns.
- Self-control: Children must learn what behaviors are appropriate and what behaviors are not. They must learn to control negative behaviors, such as biting and hitting.
- Empathy: Children must have interest and concern for other people’s feelings.
Parents can help their children develop these qualities by:
Children who feel loved are more confident and ready to face challenges than children who don’t feel loved. The attention, encouragement, hugs, and even rules, that you give your children help them to feel safe and protected.
Children learn by watching others and the doing and saying what they see and hear. When your child sees their number one role model - YOU - exercising, eating nutritious foods, and getting enough sleep, they are likely to want to do so as well. Seeing you treat others with respect, sharing, and be considerate of other people’s feelings will help your child be respectful and empathetic, too.
It takes a lot of practice to learn new things! Crawling, walking, saying new words, drinking from a cup and using a spoon are all skills that need a lot of work. Children don’t get bored with repetition. Instead, repeating helps them build the confidence they need to try new things.
Limits are important for children. Children raised in families that adhere to loving and firm discipline normally develop better social skills and do better in school than childrn who come from families that are either too lax or too strict.
Let your child dress themselves and put away their toys. You can and should oversee the activities of younger children, but by allowing them to do things for themselves and make choices, they develop needed confidence. It may be quicker and easier for you to do things for them, but you aren’t doing them any favors by making all the decisions.
Social opportunities allow your preschooler to learn to see other people’s points of view. Young children are more likely to get along well with teachers and classmates if they have had experience with different children and adults during their preschool years.
Encourage your child to discover and explore. Answer their questions, even if it seems that they ask too many. Help them keep their curiosity alive and nurture it. Show enthusiasm for the things your child does. Your job as a parent is to make sure that your child is proud of his/her achievements and excited to learn more.
When you are enthusiastic about school and learning, your child will be too. As they enter kindergarten (and even as they continue on through grade levels), talk to your child about the exciting things that they will do. Describe some of the important things that he/she will be learning from their teacher, such as how to read, count, and measure things. Your enthusiasm goes far to ensure that you have a child who loves school and succeeds.
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Mari Peckham has been teaching creative movement for infants through preschool aged children in the Chicago area since 2001. She also teaches middle eastern dance for adults. Mari is currently pursuing her BA in Holistic Wellness with a minor in Metaphysics. Visit her blogs at http://www.FamilyandChildrenBlog.com and http://www.GoddessMari.com to learn more.
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