The early elementary years are an important time for social and emotional development. During the early school years, having friends, whether they are special friends or best friends, is very important. Children at this age level want to be able to fit in with their peers and may prefer to play with their own gender for awhile. This is also a time where children begin to show interest in the rules and whether or not something is done “right.” The …
Children reach important milestones in the development of their emotions, and in their abilities to relate to others around them. Child care providers are in an important position to support and promote positive social and emotional development. For tips and ideas on supporting children’s social and emotional development in child care, check out the following articles.
Learning to become independent is one of the most important milestones of the toddler years. Toddlers who say “no” to everything and insist on doing things for themselves are building a sense of identity that is important for healthy development. Child care providers can support toddlers’ social and emotional development by providing opportunities for children to do things independently, practice problem solving and begin learning how to get along with others. Here are some common social and emotional milestones during …
Between ages 3 and 5, young children gain a better understanding of their own feelings and emotions, and become more competent at interacting with other children. They may be able to talk about their feelings, respond appropriately to others’ emotional signals, and regulate their emotions. They begin to understand how others feel, start learning how to negotiate and take turns and practice social problem solving when playing with others. Here are some common social and emotional milestones child care providers …
Children of different ages need different types of care and nurturing. Quality child care programs help children grow in all areas of development: physical, intellectual, social, emotional, language, moral, and spiritual domains.
Child care providers need to understand how children of different ages grow and learn in order to provide warm, sensitive care and positive learning experiences. Positive learning experiences help young children’s developing brains make and strengthen the connections they need to succeed.
There are many different ways to …
Stress is a part of life and can be found all around us. Child care is no exception. There is good stress and bad stress. Stress can motivate us to get things, but too much stress can make our lives seem too hectic and overwhelming. Remember that children feel stress just as adults do. Child Care providers should be aware of the stressors each child is experiencing, and should be active in helping children in their child care programs manage …
Anger and frustration are common emotions for young children. Child care providers can help young children learn how to handle anger in productive ways by helping them identify angry feelings, understand that anger is normal, and express their anger in healthy ways.
Remember that young children do not automatically understand emotions. Giving children the words to label feelings will help them recognize and respond to emotions, both in themselves and in others.
Reading children’s books …
Babies start forming attachments with the important adults in their lives from the moment they are born. They learn to trust their parents, child care providers, and other important adults, and learn that other people will meet their needs. During the infant years, child care providers can help babies build a sense of trust and security by being responsive to each individual infant. Responding consistently to babies’ cries, spending one-on-one time with each infant, observing and responding to babies’ cues, …
Constant bickering and fighting can turn an otherwise peaceful child care program into a battleground filled with yelling and shoving. Some conflict among children is to be expected. Children seek the attention of their child care providers, whose time and energy are limited. Most young children have a hard time seeing other people’s point of view, and so they think their needs are the most important. If one child has to wait when a child care provider is busy with …
Many child care providers try to help children feel confident by praising them. But encouragement is actually more effective than praise in building children’s confidence. But overusing praise can actually lower children’s self-esteem and make them more competitive and less cooperative.
Praise and encouragement are very different. Praise focuses on what the adult thinks or feels, and often includes a judgment such as “good.” Praise statements starting with “I like…” send a subtle message …
