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Social & Emotional is defined as how children start to understand who they are, what they are feeling and what to expect when interacting with others. Hence, it is the development of being able to form and sustain positive relationships, experience/manage/express emotions, and explore/engage with the environment.
What Typical Social Emotional Development
Looks Likes in Early Childhood
Tips to Support Your Child's Social Emotional Development
Puppets/Stuffed Animals
Teachers sometimes talk with children about conflicts and help them think about solutions while using puppets and families can try this technique at home. Puppets are a great way to introduce children to feeling words like happy, sad, angry, and children will sometimes talk to puppets about their feelings. Puppets can also help in discussions about challenging topics, like getting to bed on time.
Think Out Loud
When your child hears your thinking process, it helps them understand how to cope with frustration and solve problems: “Whoops. My favorite shopping bag has a hole in it. I’d better take another one with me to the grocery store.”
Read Bedtime Stories
There is something magical about this end-of-the-day routine that makes it the ideal time for talking about feelings. Discuss the characters and events in the story. Invite your child to share their thoughts and feelings by asking questions: “What do you think he should do? How do you think she feels? What would you do if you were this character?”
Do a Job Together
Instead of asking your child to do a chore alone, do it with them. The two of you might fold laundry, set the table, rake leaves, or paint a wall. Help your child join in by shortening the handle of a broom to make it child-size or providing a small paintbrush or roller.
Play Games
Card and board games and outdoor games such as tag or hop-scotch offer built-in opportunities for helping children learn to take turns, cooperate, handle frustration, and more. While playing games together, focus on fun instead of winning or losing.
Prevent Potential Problems
Before a friend comes to play, help your child put away toys he does not want to share. Before taking a bus to the zoo, provide a step-by-step explanation of what you will do: “We will wait at the bus stop for 5 minutes, then get on the bus and sit together and watch the sights go by for about 30 minutes [explain this as the length of one episode of a favorite TV show]. Then we will walk three blocks to the zoo and tour the lion house before anything else!” During the trip, remind your preschooler of what will happen next.
Steps to Take if Your Child is Significantly Below Their Expected Social Emotional Development
Consistently attempt some of the strategies above ⬆️ for a few weeks and/or the following:
Reassess where your child's social emotional skills are at.
If your child's social emotional skills have improved, continue these strategies and celebrate you and your child's success!
If...
your child's social emotional skills continue to be significantly below their expected social emotional developmental age (as indicated in the social emotional milestones table at the top of this page)
AND
your child is of preschool of age
AND
would like your child to be evaluated as to whether or not they require special education services to be successful, continue to step 3 ⬇️
Share your concerns regarding your child's development and that you are interested in having your child evaluated for special education services by:
Contacting Barnes Early Childhood special education intake staff member, Claudine Manchester by phone call or email:
(313) 432-3803
OR
Completing and submitting this Special Education Referral Form. Once submitted, the referral will be sent to Barnes Early Childhood and a staff member will be in communication with you in the near future.
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