In preschool, social and emotional growth is a very important part of our children’s education. The classroom is full of opportunities to interact with peers, solve problems, work together with other children, develop self-control, manage emotions, and so much more. These key experiences help your child develop skills that they will very much need as their school years progress.

NAEYC (the National Association for the Education of Young Children) has provided some ideas for things you can do at home to promote your child’s growth and development too. They include…

• Playing with puppets or other toys to model solutions
• Thinking out loud/modeling problem-solving yourself
• Using bedtime stories to promote skills
• Doing a job together
• Playing games
• Implement strategies to prevent potential problems

Read the whole article here.

Helping your child develop social skills is something you can do inside your everyday routines. These little lessons are particularly meaningful because they occur in real situations that you experience in your life, and help your children learn how to respond to everyday issues. You are your child’s first and most important teacher and your modeling of positive problem-solving and emotional self-regulation will help them to learn also.