1 min read
16 October 2022
12:45

In their early life, children acquire social and emotional skills. These include regulating emotions, sharing with others, and following instructions, which are crucial for a child’s overall well-being.

Social development skills are necessary for developing literacy, numeracy, and other cognitive abilities essential for success in school and life. The developmental markers and millstones of social development build the foundation for developing relationships with other people and coping with stressful situations, among other skills.

Education professionals in early care and preschool classrooms play a significant role in supporting social and emotional development and ensuring that young learners are ready for school.

Legislatures often consider policies and resources to support school readiness. Increasingly, legislation to enhance social and emotional well-being in early learners is seen as a crucial component of promoting success in school.

There are many ways in which parents can promote social development in children, which include:

• Providing a nurturing environment filled with warmth and affection conveys to them that they are essential and unique individuals.
• Name their emotions to help promote their self-awareness.
• Playing games teaches children how to engage with the world from a very early age, which can be educational and fun.
• Lead by example by remembering that your child looks to you to learn how to form relationships and cope with the world around him. Take advantage of every opportunity to model appropriate behaviour.

Parents provide children with positive social and emotional opportunities that help develop their confidence. This will improve their ability to cope with conflict, solve social problems, and ultimately create secure relationships with others throughout their lives.

By Naseerah Nanabhai
naseerahnanabhai@gmail.com