The Role of Parents in Supporting the Emotional Development of 3-Year-Olds and Older kids

role-of-parents-in-emotional-development-of-3-year-olds

By Siyona Varghese

As a parent, you play a vital role in supporting your child’s emotional development, especially during their early years. Emotional development is the process by which children learn to express and manage their emotions effectively. It’s a critical part of their growth that lays the foundation for their social and cognitive development.

Three-year olds are at a crucial stage in their emotional development, where they begin to understand and express their feelings in more complex ways. They become more aware of their emotions and those of others around them, which makes it an ideal time for parents to focus on supporting their child’s emotional development.

Here are some ways parents can help their 3-6 year-olds develop emotionally:

Create a safe and secure environment: A child’s emotional development is directly influenced by their environment. As a parent, it’s essential to create a safe and secure environment where your child feels loved and valued. This means creating a home that is free from conflict and providing your child with a sense of stability and consistency. For instance, try not to have conflicts, fights and emotionally charged arguments with other adults in front of your child. Ensure your child understands that you love her and that she can depend upon you.

Encourage expression of emotions: It’s important to encourage your child to express their emotions openly and honestly. Help your child to recognize and name their feelings (such as anger, sadness, frustration, happiness), so they can learn to manage them effectively. Encourage them to talk about their emotions and ask questions to help them understand their feelings better.

Provide positive feedback: Positive feedback is crucial to a child’s emotional development. It helps to build their self-esteem and confidence. Provide your child with positive feedback regularly, such as praising them for their efforts or accomplishments and make sure they feel valued and loved. Rather than praising them generally, praise them for something they did right.

Do not focus on the negative: Do not harp on the negative as it may reinforce that negative activity. In case of behaviour or action you disapprove, tell them once about what they did wrong and focus on changing it in a positive way. Do not call a child ‘bad’ or ‘naughty’ as they may start seeing themselves in that way. You can call an action as bad but not the child.

Help your child develop empathy: Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Helping your child develop empathy is an essential part of their emotional development. Encourage them to put themselves in other people’s shoes and think about how they would feel in different situations. Teach them to be kind and considerate towards others. Be aware that empathy develops slowly. Your child may start showing empathy from age 3 but it doesn’t fully develop until children are 8 to 10 years old or even older.  Help your child understand other’s feelings and being kind towards them but don’t get frustrated if they don’t show empathy right away as it is a slow process.

Be a good role model: Parents are the most influential role models for their children. Your children are likely to model their behavior based on what they see you do. As a parent, it’s essential to model positive behavior and emotional regulation. Show your children how to manage their emotions effectively and respond to different situations appropriately.

Provide opportunities for social interaction :Social interaction is crucial for your child’s emotional development. It helps them learn to communicate, share and develop friendships. Provide opportunities for your child to interact with other children their age, such as play-dates or attending a preschool or daycare.

Teach your child to problem-solve: Problem-solving is an important part of emotional development. It helps children learn to manage their emotions and deal with challenging situations effectively. Teach your child problem-solving skills by encouraging them to think critically and come up with solutions to different problems they encounter.

In conclusion, parents play a crucial role in supporting the emotional development of their 3-year-olds. Creating a safe and secure environment, encouraging the expression of emotions, providing positive feedback, helping your child develop empathy, being a good role model, providing opportunities for social interaction and teaching your child to problem-solve are all essential steps in supporting your child’s emotional development.

By supporting your child’s emotional development, you are laying the foundation for their future success in life. It’s essential to remember that emotional development is a process and every child develops at their own pace. Be patient, supportive and consistent in your approach and your child will thrive emotionally.

References

By vitalmadevadmin in Behaviour and Discipline, Development and Milestones 0 Comment

Study Strategies for Pre-schoolers

study-tips-for-pre-schoolers

Dr. Dhanalakshmi N.

Ph.D. (N), PG Psychological Counselling, M.Sc. Psychology

Introduction

Pre-Schoolers are special. They are changing from playing alone to playing together and their language capacity is developing. They learn and develop skills such as naming colors, shapes, etc., As the child grows, they become more independent and begin to explore the world. They are more curious and ask many questions. Learning or study strategies help parents to plan for their children to achieve successful learning.

Learning strategies

The below factors promote learning for kids:

Environment: It is important to provide a comfortable environment to promote learning. The environment includes natural ventilation, adequate lighting and a lack of noise. A proper environment will influence the child to focus better and prevent distraction.

Plan: “Make every day learning day” making a daily schedule for kids learning will minimize confusion and arouse interest among children. Schedule a fixed time to study daily. Plan regular breaks between studies since children’s minds cannot concentrate for more than 15 to 20 minutes. Children are naturally curious. All you have to do is give enough material and exposure. Don’t force them but encourage them to do the activities. Show excitement in learning and get them excited to learn new things.

Child’s Interest: Consider your child’s interest while planning the schedule. Consider the child’s interest in subjects, books, topics, stories and methods of learning.

Rewards: Provide positive rewards or reinforcement to strengthen the learning process. Encouragement influences the child to learn better.

Focus on strengths: It is important for parents to identify their children’s strengths and weaknesses to work with them better. Focus on children’s strengths and also  find ways to convert weakness to strength. For example, if your child finds maths difficult, use simple techniques. Make mathematics practical. For example, have her count bangles or objects she likes. Ask her to distribute, say three bangles, to each of the people in the room. Give her two green bangles and three red bangles and ask her how many bangles in total she has.

Focus on performance: Some parents are concerned about their children getting the highest score or grades. Parents must focus on how well the child learns rather than the grades.

A balanced life: Adequate rest, physical activity, a positive mindset, good environment and nutritious food will promote a child’s learning success. Regular physical activity promotes not only physical health but also promotes self-confidence, focus and concentration.

Role model: Parents should be role models to their children in learning, taking an effort to learn and showing enthusiasm. Pre-schoolers observe and imitate their parents. Try to be seen reading a book, writing and doing other positive things you want your children to emulate.

Review: Review with your child what was learned on the previous day before you teach a new topic. Recollecting information about past learning promotes a child’s memory.

What Learning Methods or techniques can be used to teach kids?

Observation: Children can be exposed to the natural environment and they can observe and experience sensory learning. Learning by seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting. Studies have proven that visual learning retains memory longer than auditory learning.

Learning through play: The play method is the best method for younger children. Theme-based play can be organised. This method arouses the child’s interest and maintains her interest to learn more. Game-based learning is the best way to teach new ideas and knowledge to kids. Theme-based learning can be planned through

  • Singing and dancing,
  • Role play or acting out
  • Telling stories or reading stories
  • Interacting with other children
  • Hopping and climbing
  • Arts and crafts etc.,

Audio-visual aids: Audio-visual aids such as flashcards, posters, radio, tape-recorder, blackboard, pictures, models etc., are more effective and promote learning.

Sensory learning: Sensory play stimulates a child’s senses through hearing, seeing, touching, smelling and tasting. Children can be allowed to play with water, sand, clay, colour pencils or paints, puzzles, building blocks, planting a garden, playing with food etc., sensory play promotes language, gross and fine motor and cognitive development. It also strengthens the social interaction between children while playing. This method can be used as an alternative to reading.

Brainpower boosting activities and Yoga poses for kids

Clapping hands: Studies have proven that hand-clapping games improve a child’s writing skills and handwriting. It also improves mood and releases tension.

Squats (Thoppukaranam): Studies have shown that this is a great yoga technique to boost brain power. Daily practice of squats improves a child’s concentration, social skills, academic performance and class participation.

Tree poses: Making the child stand on tree poses daily will improve concentration.

Shavasana (corpse pose): Daily practice of Shavasana calms the mind and improves concentration.

Padmasana: It is also called the lotus pose. Daily practice of this pose helps to relax the mind and improves focus, concentration and memory power.

References

 

By vitalmadevadmin in Development and Milestones 0 Comment