4 Things You Can Do To Support Your Child’s Social – Emotional Development

What is social and emotional growth? Social and emotional development emphasizes skills that increase self-awareness and self-control. It is the root for fostering:

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Self-confidence
Empathy
Compassion
Awareness of one’s own feelings
A sense of right and wrong
Meaningful friendships
Trust

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How can you support their healthy social-emotional development? Young children learn how to treat others based on the care they receive. By providing your child with a positive and nurturing environment which includes lots of physical and emotional closeness, you will help them understand how they feel about themselves and aid them in creating relationships with others.

See below for age-appropriate ways on how you can support your child’s development:

Birth to 1	Place a child-proof mirror where your infant can see it and play Peek-a-Boo together using a cloth.	Recite the rhyme, "Here are your fingers, here are your toes. Here is your chin and here is your nose." As you sing, point to each of the body parts.	Place blocks, soft books, rattles, and stuffed animals within reach. As they choose and play say, "You chose the block, Carlie"	While cuddling sing, "You Are My Sunshine." Smile and emphasize the word "happy" as you sing.
1 to 2	Teach your little one how to meditate. Lie down and place a stuffed animal on their chest. Show them how to breathe deeply and watch the animal move up and down.	During outdoor time, have your child whisper their name. Then work your way up to an "inside voice" and lastly, have them shout their names out loud.	Take some Selfies! Display a range of emotions such as happy, sad and shocked. Throughout the week help your child learn to label their emotions.	Demonstrate how to manage feelings. For example say, "I'm upset. I'm going to close my eyes and count to five."
2 to 3	Show your child how to give a high five. Explain this is good for letting someone know they did a good job. High Five your child when they do a great job.	Teach your child the "okay" gesture. Throughout the day use it with them and see them do it back to let you know "everything is okay."	Teach your little one how to meditate. Lie down and place a stuffed animal on their chest. Show them how to breathe deeply and watch the animal move up and down.	As you read, have your child mirror the faces seen in the book and talk about those feelings.
3 to 4	Give your child a bubble wand that is easy to use. Take turns being the designated blower and a popper.	Make a feelings meter and label the sections: happy, sad, mad, sleepy, or worried. Have them indicate how they are feeling throughout the day.	Discuss table manners at meal time. Talk about how to take turns being served food and how to engage in conversations with others.	Create a small space where your child can go calm down. Make this space calm and peaceful using pillows, glitter bottles and stress balls. Guide them to find resolutions to their problems.
4 to 5	Discuss table manners at meal time. Talk about how to take turns being served food and how to engage in conversations with others.	Become pen pals with a family member or friend. Include photos, drawings and life experience stories.	Have your child draw a self-portrait and have them name characteristics about themselves. Write down what they say.	Look at photos of your child and have them compare how they are the same and how they are different.

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