In a world where intelligence and cognitive skills get a lot of attention, the importance of social and emotional learning in kids is often overlooked. However, studies show that these skills are equally important to their success.
Social and emotional skills are the set of skills that enable a child to understand and regulate their emotions, establish healthy relationships, exhibit empathy for others, and thrive throughout their lives. Developing these skills builds a child’s self-awareness, social awareness, and self-management. All things that are crucial to handling stress, taking on challenges, and overcoming adversity.
As a parent, you have an important role to play in helping your little one develop social and emotional skills. Read on and learn how to boost social-emotional learning in kids!
Create a gratitude journal
Keeping a gratitude journal is known to help increase positivity and happiness in adults. But its promising impact on one’s life isn’t only limited to adults. A gratitude journal can be beneficial to kids, too!
Besides increasing self-management and self-awareness, jotting down things to be grateful for can help cultivate positivity in young kids as they reflect and focus on the positive things in their lives.
Start this habit by providing your little one a notebook or journal where they can write about something they are thankful for the day. Let them inject a little creativity and fun into this activity by decorating the journal with stickers, drawing on it, and incorporating art and colors according to their liking.
Establish a routine
An established routine gives children a sense of safety, security and predictability. It also helps children learn about self-management and responsible decision-making.
Create a daily schedule for your little one to stick to. Be sure this schedule integrates intentional time for social and emotional learning. But don’t forget to get your child involved in making choices in their schedule. Welcome their suggestions and ask them what activities they would like to be a part of their daily routine. It would also be a great idea to have the schedule printed out or created in the form of a chart.
Learn about self-care
Cultivating social and emotional skills in young kids means learning how to care for their own physical and mental wellness. Instill in your child healthy habits early on.
Create a bedtime routine to ensure they’re getting adequate sleep which they need for their growth and development.
Instead of tolerating a sedentary lifestyle and letting them stay glued to electronic devices for hours, be in control of their screen time. Encourage more physical activity and outdoor play.
Serve them a balanced diet to make sure they’re getting all the nutrients they need to be physically healthy.
Spend quality time with children
As parents, it’s natural to feel like you have too many responsibilities on your plate. Indeed, it’s challenging to strike the right balance between the demands of work and home. However, if there’s one important thing all parents must remember it’s the value of the quality time they spend with their children. No amount of money or material things can compensate for the time you missed because you’re busy with other “important” stuff.
Be present with your child. Always carve out time to be with them no matter how tired or busy you may feel. Make time to connect with them, talk to them, play with them, share meals with them, etc.
Practice self-awareness
Another helpful trick for developing social and emotional learning in kids is by practicing self-awareness. This is something they can do by doing stretching routines or breathing exercises. There are many kid-friendly routines you can check online for reference.
You can schedule this activity for a certain time of day to make it a regular part of their routine. Not only is this an excellent way to reset their bodies. It’s also an effective method to cope with stress and anxiety or when your child is experiencing strong emotions.
Social and emotional learning isn’t something that only takes place inside a classroom. It’s something that parents can foster at home. With the help of these ideas, you can support social emotional learning for your child and help set them on the path to success!
For more helpful parenting tips or if you’re looking for the best preschool for your child, please feel free to visit Wee Care Preschool.
