Category: Social Emotional Development

• Value Your Child’s Emerging Ideas

  

  When your child observes you valuing and integrating his ideas, his self-esteem will increase. You can help boost your child’s confidence and self-esteem with these tips: Give your child choices where either choice is acceptable. For example, “Would you like to wear the blue shirt or the pink shirt?” In both choices the child is…

• Using Teachable Moments

  

  As your child grows and develops, a spectrum of feelings emerge. Young children react emotionally, but it doesn’t last for long. For instance, your child may cry when he doesn’t get his way and a minute later, he may be laughing hysterically. Many teachable moments arise as children reach school age: they begin to recognize…

• How Was Your Day?

  

  Start a conversation about your child’s work. Each month, your child will be creating art, participating in classroom projects and sharing what she learned. Watch for exciting activities to come home and use them as communication tools to talk to your child about what she is learning. Here are some ways to navigate asking “How…

• Keep It Positive!

  

  When you are looking for ways to help your child behave, think positively. Research has shown that the behavior and reactions you show may set your child’s expectations. Here’s how to keep it positive! Stay positive with these guidelines:

• They’re Pushing My Buttons!

  

  From rolling eyes to the dreaded “temper tantrum”, we all have experienced unwanted behaviors with our young children. For me, when a child spits, I feel disrespected, and disgusted. It brings out emotions of anger and frustration. I feel my blood pressure rise, my voice grows louder and my facial expressions change from a positive…

• 100 Languages of Children – Responsive Caregiving

  

  When your mind is open to questioning what you are seeing, you can see the role you play in the life of a child through the lens of their language. 100 Languages of Children explores the ways children communicate. First introduced to the early childhood community through the philosophy of Loris Malaguzzi, the Reggio approach to…

• Squish, Scoop, and Splash! Using Sensory Play for Emotional Regulation

  

  What is Sensory Play? There is an old parenting tip that’s been handed down for years. “If a child is cranky, just add water!” It makes sense. Using sensory play for emotional regulation is necessary for children to release stress, self-regulate and develop appropriately. Many adults find comfort in ocean waves and bubble baths. They…

• When the Calming Corner Doesn’t Work – What Now?

  

  The Calming Corner is a wonderful tool for promoting self-regulation, but what happens when it doesn’t seem to work? Teachers spend countless hours setting up the perfect space, creating sensory bottles, finding pillows, and printing tools for learning. It can be frustrating when all that effort seems to be in vain.  The first step should…

• Introducing the Calming Corner

  

  A Calming Corner is a space where children can go to practice self-calming when feeling overwhelmed, overstimulated or upset. Helping children identify their feelings, choose ways to manage their emotions and taking time to calm down in a soft, quiet space teach children self-regulation. After setting up a Calming Corner, like anything else, we need…

• Create a Positive Environment for Learning

  

  Early childhood teachers are overwhelmed with the responsibilities and stresses of the day, but our interaction with children matters. They must be positive and sincere. Even our facial expressions, tone of voice and body language communicate what we feel. Teaching social and emotional skills is one of our biggest responsibilities. Interacting positively with children at…