Social-emotional development includes the child’s experience, expression, and management of emotions and the ability to establish positive and rewarding relationships with others. It encompasses both intra- and interpersonal processes.
Social and emotional development means how children start to understand who they are, what they are feeling and what to expect when interacting with others. It is the development of being able to: Form and sustain positive relationships. Experience, manage and express emotions. Explore and engage with the environment.
Socio-emotional development is influenced by three central factors: biology, including genetics and temperament, environment, including socioeconomic status and support, and relationships.
Types of Social-Emotional Skills and Behaviors
- Openness to experience (openmindedness)
- Conscientiousness (task performance)
- Emotional stability (emotional regulation)
- Extraversion (engaging with others)
- Agreeableness (collaboration)
Social and emotional skills determine how well people adjust to their environment and how much they achieve in their lives. But the development of these skills is important not only for the well-being of individuals, but also for wider communities and societies.
Indications o f emotional development include the ability to self-regulate, demonstrating prosocial behaviors, exhibiting composure, and possessing emotional intelligence. People who selfregulate their emotions will not have verbal outbursts or become volatile.
What are emotional skills in children?
According to the National Center for Safe and Supportive Learning Environments, strong emotional development leads to five key skills: self-awareness, social awareness, emotional regulation, responsible decision making and relationship building.
In their first few years of life, young children acquire social and emotional skills, such as regulating emotions , sharing with others, and following instructions. These skills lay the foundation for developing literacy, numeracy and other cognitive abilities that are critical for success in school and life.
What social and emotional skills should children learn?
Through teamwork in everyday life, your child learns important life lessons and values – from diplomacy to empathy and even time management. Whether it’s learning how to share and cooperate, or working together and taking turns, your preschooler needs to develop sensitive ways to communicate their wants and needs.
How do children develop social skills?
Children first learn social skills by watching how parents and family members behave with each other. Children copy what others do and what they say as they interact with each other.
Why are social skills important in early childhood?
Social skills help children to form positive relationships, have conversations , develop body language, cooperate, share, and even play together. Having well developed social skills also leads to improved mental capacity and cognitive abilities, as well as good overall mental health.
What is the importance of emotional development in childhood?
“Children who understand and express emotions more easily have better empathetic and social skills, which can help to build relationships. They even do better academically. Even before children enter school, they are taught which emotions are appropriate to express and how they should express them,” Johnson says.
Basics for a child’s good mental health:
- Unconditional love from family.
- Self-confidence and high self-esteem.
- The opportunity to play with other children.
- Encouraging teachers and supportive caretakers.
- Safe and secure surroundings.
- Appropriate guidance and discipline.
Ways to Encourage Social and
Emotional Development
It is the development of being able to:
- Form and sustain positive relationships.
- Experience, manage and express emotions.
- Explore and engage with the world around them.
Infant/baby:
- Cuddle and touch your baby gently.
- Respond to your baby’s coos and cries.
- Hold your baby while feeding him/her.
- Be predictable and consistent.
- Name feelings like happy, mad, and sad.
Around age 1:
- Set fair and consistent limits and help your child learn limits by saying “no” in a\ firm, quiet voice.
- Develop and maintain consistent routines.
- Encourage curiosity.
Around age 2:
- Be calm and comforting after outbursts.
- Be consistent with what your toddler can and cannot do.
- Talk to your toddler and use words for feelings.
- Encourage and praise your child.
Around age 3:
- Help your child include others in playing, sharing, and taking turns.
- Support your child to develop trust in other consistent adults.
- Support appropriate expression of feelings.
Around age 4:
- Pay attention when your child is talking.
- Give your child opportunities to play with other children.
- Say positive things to your child.
Around age 5:
- Gently and consistently help your child manage feelings and control behavior.
- Be patient and responsive to questions.
What do 6 – 12-year-olds need to experience for healthy social-emotional development?
At this stage, children will exhibit many of these characteristics:
- Learn to cooperate in group settings and group games; dislike playing alone.
- Spend a lot of time talking with peers.
- Develop lasting friendships and begin to handle peer pressure.
- Enjoy group activities and group games that focus on a common interest.
- Begin to develop their own point of view, which is sometimes different from parents’ ideas, still many more…
