As parents, we all want our children to be healthy and happy.

It’s easier to tell if your child

is development physically, but do you know if your child is developing the appropriate social
and emotional skills? Supporting their emotional and social development is just as
important as supporting their physical development.

What is social and emotional development?

 Social and emotional development is a child’s ability to understand the feelings of
others, control his or her own feelings and behaviors, get along with other children,
and build relationships with adults.
 In order for children to develop the basic skills they need such as cooperation,
following directions, demonstrating self-control and paying attention, they must
have social-emotional skills.

Social and emotional development is complex and includes many different

areas of growth. Each is described in more detail below:

 temperament: the way a young child acts and responds to different situations,
caregivers, and strangers
 attachment: the emotional bond between a child and caregiver
 social skills or social competence: the ability to get along with other people
 emotion regulation: the ability of a child to control his or her emotions and
reactions to the environment

Why is it important for children to have positive social and

emotional skills?
 Having positive social and emotional skills is important throughout life and can have
an impact on how they function at home, school and in the community.
 When young children are faced with social, emotional or behavioral challenges it
can impact their chances for school success and healthy relationships.
 A child's positive relationship with trusting and caring adults is the key to successful
emotional and social development.
What does Social & Emotional Development of Preschoolers
(3-5) Look Like?
 Enjoys pretend play with other children
 Beginning to learn to share
 Demonstrates improved turn-taking
 Needs clear and consistent rules
 Needs to be encouraged to express their feelings with words
 Beginning to take responsibility for actions
 Friends are more interesting than adults
 Has some ability to recognize and understand the feelings of others

How to encourage Social & Emotional Development in 3 - 5

Years?
Role of parents

Implications

The importance of responsive parenting for young children’s well-

being has many policy implications. Policy and practice decision-
makers need to pay particular attention to parents who are most at
risk: they need find ways to facilitate change in parents’ behaviours,
taking into consideration factors such as parent beliefs, social
support, mental health status, in order to maximize effectiveness.
Synthesis of relevant research should guide new investments in
parent programs and the development of research initiatives
concerning responsive parenting. Developmental science is frequently
not well integrated into policy or program application. Given the
critically important role of early experience in brain development,
policy-makers have an interest in making sure that young children’s
environments (e.g. home, child care) are of high enough quality to
promote positive outcomes. When new investments are made in
publicly funded services for children and families, there is often a
greater emphasis on accountability. This should serve to encourage a
greater consideration of research-based evidence that can better
assure program effectiveness.
References