Reprint of my article published by Family Focus Blog on July 17, 2013
Social-emotional wellness refers to the ability to experience, express and regulate emotions, form secure positive relationships, to and individuate and acquire increasing independence. A child who has healthy social-emotional skills is able to label and understand his or her own feelings as well those of others. He can manage his own emotions and express them in a way that is positive and helpful to him and appropriate for his social situation. As children grow, they learn to empathize with people in their environment and are able to form and maintain positive relationships with adults and other children in their community.
Children, however, are not born with these abilities and
must learn them. It is up to caregivers
and educators to teach social-emotional skills implicitly and explicitly from
early on. In order to be successful in this endeavor, adults need to read the
child’s cues, acknowledge which stage he is at, and understand what is to be
expected at each age. In the first year of a child’s life, he sends cues to
parents and other caregivers to express how he feels. A young baby will cry
when in distress and smile at the voices, faces and smiles of familiar people. Her
little face and body will react when she is interested, surprised or
frustrated. It is our responsibility to interpret and react to these cues in
order to teach the child that we are in tune with their needs. Parents foster
social development by changing their baby’s soiled diapers, smiling in response
to their smiles, and talking to their child.. Parents should also play games
like peek-a-boo and naming the things in the child’s environment such as toys
and parts of the body. These activities increase attachment between baby and
primary caregiver. As attachments are formed, your child will respond
differently when an unfamiliar person attempts to hold, stroke or even feed him
or her. The little one responds with anxiety. These are normal reactions indicating
that the child’s social-emotional development is proceeding well.
Children 12 to 36 months of age see themselves as the center
of the world and begin to be more self-aware. They begin to become more independent.
As a result, they can have short-lived and rapid mood swings in which tantrums
can be expected. They start testing their limits, are not keen to share and
will not play with other children as much as play next to them. At this time,
routines are very important. To support his or her development of social
skills, you can begin by praising your toddler for doing things independently
and give them toys to play with. You can start planning playdates and encourage
your child to make decisions and explore. Continue to sing songs, clap hands
and dance together. Encourage your child to imitate your silly moves. In his
third year, listen and talk with your child. Talk to them about how you feel
and teach them to do the same by identifying and acknowledging how they feel. When
conversing, do not stand above them: get to their level, look them in the eyes
and speak face to face.
At three to five year old, children begin to enjoy playing
with other children. They need to learn how to share, take turns and talk about
their feelings in order to express themselves and resolve conflict. Teach them
implicitly by modeling such behavior. Explicitly teach them the language of
feelings and social negotiation. They’re
eager to please and want to be trusted. At this stage, it is important to set
clear and consistent consequences for what happens when they break the rules.
As their mind develops, they will begin to show an understanding for the point
of view and feelings of others (empathy). Let them participate in role-playing
games with others in which they can play pilot, doctor, policeman, etc., to
gain independence, build confidence and learn the roles of adults around them. Discussing
books and movies and giving them small household chores, such as setting the
table or cleaning up their toys after a game also helps with development of
strong social-emotional skills.
Solid social-emotional skills are crucial for young children
to thrive and handle difficult situations. The key is to establish secure relationships
with caregivers that will teach them about compassion, trust, generosity and
empathy through experience.
Image Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nwardez/3740406214
No comments:
Post a Comment