July 18, 2019
Beginning with your baby’s very first smile, your child is continually learning how to interact with others. As your child grows, he or she will experience a variety of big emotions like excitement, fear, or frustration. We call this social and emotional development.
Social development is a child’s ability to create and maintain close relationships. Emotional development is a child’s ability to identify, express, and manage emotions.
Parents often worry about safeguarding their children’s physical well-being, but promoting their social and emotional welfare is just as important.
Social and emotional development is closely linked to a child’s overall development. Those who develop strong social and emotional skills tend to be happier and do better in school. Plus, those same skills—getting along with others, following directions, and managing emotions—are critical to workplace success later in life.
You can foster social and emotional health by establishing a warm, trusting relationship with your child. At home, play with your child every day and help identify emotions as they arise.
At your child’s early childhood education program, teachers can foster social and emotional health, too. Teachers can establish trusting relationships with children by:
Have questions about your child’s development? Visit Help Me Grow Alaska or call 1.833.464.2527 for free parenting and child development information. Another helpful service is Bright By Text, a free text messaging service that sends parenting and child development information straight to your phone. Sign-up for free here.
Here are additional tips to support young children’s social and emotional development as they grow:
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