SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRESCHOOLERUnit 5

Taking the Initiative Becoming more independent Improved abilities Limitless energy Strong desire to learn and explore

Erikson – Initiative vs. Guilt Initiative = The ability to think or act

without being urged. Developing initiative is important because it

sets the stage for ambitions later in life. Yet, initiative can lead to failures. Too many

failures can lead to guilt. Guilt = Blaming yourself for something

done wrong. SO… caregivers need to make sure children

know that it is OK to make mistakes!

Showing Responsibility First step toward dependence Adults should show examples Select age-appropriate tasks

What are some chores that would be appropriate for a preschooler?

Emotional Patterns Increased need – independence Many will venture out of the home

environment for the first time Preschool, Headstart, kindergarten

Unfamiliar adults, large group of kids Each child responds differently Certain milestones

Four Years Most still self-centered Defiant, impatient, loud & boastful Might argue & be bossy (kids & adults) Other times = loving & affectionate

Need & seek approval of parents & caregivers Want to see self as separate from

parent/caregiver Want to do things for their self (independence)

Vocabulary & language skills – improve Test sounds of language Rude words – test adult reaction

Four Years Active Imagination

Rich fantasy life Mind cannot separate fantasy from

reality Active imagination + fantasy = FEARS

Caregivers – acknowledge fears & talk about them

Five Years View self as a whole person (mind, body

& feelings) Eager to explore, however they will

experience fear of unfamiliar people, places & experiences

May experience anxiety or stress about the strangeness of school & unfamiliar routines

Important to help them cope – listening to concerns, offer love & support

Five Years Emotionally Impulse

Wander around, talk, play – whenever they want School – must sit still, listen & focus

Start to learn to control their impulses Feel more empathy for others

(understand how someone else feels) Better able to play together Able to see another person’s point of view

Six Years Emotional turmoil – state of extreme confusion

or agitation Find role outside of the home Long to feel grown up – small & dependent Stubborn & quuarrelsome Center of the own universe Please others to win praise for self

Behavior horrible for parents Rapid mood changes

Stronger feelings of happiness & joy Appreciation of more activities

Nice time to start activities

Emotions As Children grow – better able to

recognize & express a variety of emotions

Growing feeling of competence – master various activities – helps control their emotions

Continue to experience fear – however nature of those fear change

Anger Think back to when you were younger,

how did you express your anger?? Has it changed?? Why??

Anger and Aggression Anger – Expression changes the most during

early childhood Anger and Aggression being around 10

months of age. They peak with displays of temper in the toddler years and continue in the preschool years.

Preschoolers tend to hit and bite less than toddlers.

Yet they tend to threaten and yell more! Boys are more physical and girls are more

verbal even in the preschool stage!

Anger & Ages Four years

episodes last longer

Use physical violence

Threaten & attempt to get even

Five years More likely to hurt

other children’s feeling than hurt them physically

Six Years More hurtful with

words Tease, nag &

make fun

Anger Frustration – major cause of anger Child’s tolerance for frustration increases as they

grow Former frustrations – eliminated By 6, better social skills = deal with situations that

lead to anger Disagreements with other kids – common cause Use scapegoats Criticism – another source Scold a child for doing something wrong – child will

try to punish parent by breaking another rule

Anger Varies greatly in children

Children ten to imitate the behavior of adults

Caregivers – express anger in appropriate ways

Page 407. Analyze

Fear Imagination – major emotional force

Ghosts, monsters Dark, being left alone, abandoned, thunder,

lightning, school

Critical Thinking Page 409

How can Caregivers help?? Accept the fear

Listen, saying you understand- great help Never say that fear does not exist, it DOES to

the CHILD Let the child express fear without ridicule

Fear being made fun of May not open up

Help the child feel able to face the fear Talking & act help Reading a book

Fear Sometimes, fears are justified. Action must be taken

Bully at school

Jealousy Sibling rivalry – common Caregivers – unintentionally make the

problem worse May try to improve behavior by comparing Damage a child’s self-esteem & undermine

family relationships Express feelings by:

Tattling Criticizing Lying

Caregivers Encourage cooperation & empathy Avoid taking sides Give children a change to work through

their own problems Sibling rivalry tends to fade

Worry Children worry Tension – emotional stress

Fire in home Stranger taking them Bully in the neighborhood Active imagination

Worry Emotional strain & Physical symptoms

Stomachaches, headaches, and sleeping difficulties

Cry, scream or throw tantrums Bite nails, swing legs or grind teeth

Ways to reduce worry & tension Look for the

cause Ask them to draw

a picture Give children time

to calm down Time out

Provide chances to get rid of tension Physical way of

releasing stress Read a book about

the issue causing stress

Maintain normal limits on behavior Do not ease up on

limits

At your table, Create a list of issues and situations that

might cause stress in children 4-6.

Questions??? What is self-confidence?? How can you build a child’s self-

confidence? Who is more physical in expressing

violence

Self-Confidence New skills & dealing with unfamiliar

situations = increased self-confidence Self-confidence – belief in one’s own

abilities Start taking the initiative & making

decisions on their own Erikson – encouragement = self-

confidence Repeated discouragement/punishment =

feelings of inferiority or inadequacy

Self-Confidence Provide opportunities for preschoolers to

perform well Internal satisfaction goes farther than

praise Self-esteem will help develop self-control See world in terms of all or nothing

How will this hinder their self-esteem??

Self-Confidence All or nothing

Projects – does not go their way = “I can’t do anything right” Self-esteem & self-confidence = lowered

Important – children experience more successes than failures

Self-Confidence Show Respect

Offer choices “Because I said so” – not effective

Give Praise & Encouragement Good Job, I appreciate that

Plan Actives Challenging, but not overwhelming Children need down time

Encourage Individuality Opportunities

Write a dialogue Between a parent and child in which the

parent is encouraging the child. Write an effective dialogue, one with a

purpose, use appropriate language and quotation marks.

Make sure it reflects the age, personality and background of each person.

Causes of Anger and Aggression

Preschoolers use aggression to Get their way Hurt another Gain attention Gain affection

Fear and Anxiety Some toddler fears fade away and preschoolers

develop new fears, some increase. Fear of the unknown

Monsters, Robbers Fear of physical injury

Fear of death by fire, auto accident, drowning, the fear of bites from insects or animals

Fear of pain caused by medical and dental work Anxiety of a general nature

Fear of a tornado may spread to thunderstorms and high winds

Feeling and Controlling Emotions

Preschoolers still react to common childlike stressors (situations that cause stress)

These may include: Illness Moving Death Adult quarrels Divorce

Feeling and Controlling Emotions

Controlling outward signs of emotions such crying, screaming and hitting to help children become socially acceptable!

However, if children control emotions without admitting their underlying feelings to themselves and others, they may become emotionally troubled.

Children need to express themselves! “I am angry.” “I am afraid.”

Dependency Preschoolers feel a conflict between their

need for dependence and independence! Sometimes preschoolers ask for help and

they really do need it and other times they ask for help even when they don’t!

Emotional Dependence: The act of seeing attention, approval, comfort and contact.

Social & Moral Development With your knowledge of a preschooler’s

emotional development, what problems might occur when preschoolers play in a group??

General Social Patterns As children enter preschool and

kindergarten they must learn three important social skills How to interact with new people How to make friends How to work & play in organized groups

Learn to take direction & accept authority from others outside the home

Determine right and wrong – act accordingly

How do you think social development will differ at the

different ages: 4, 5 & 6

Four Years Form friendships with playmates Engage in cooperative play Play in groups of 3-4 Share toys, take turns Often bossy & inconsiderate – fights Family is still more important Seek approval, “I’m good at drawing

pictures, aren’t I?

Five Years More outgoing & talkative Play in groups of 5-6

Play – more complicated Fights – less frequent

Name-calling & wild threats More respect for other’s belongings Concerned – what their friends say and do Do not want to be thought as different – they

do not want to be ridicule Gossip starts (friends, who has what toys)

What the group values, behaviors that are desirable

Six Years Social relations – friction, threats &

stubbornness They want everything Want to do things their way Best friends – usually same sex Play in mixed groups No regard for team effort – they will just

stop playing

What would you do?? You are caregiver playing a game with a

five year old boy and his eight year old sister. The boy is obviously cheating. His sister is about to complain. What do you do??

Family Relations 4 years

Close ties Want to feel important Proud – help with

chores Quarrel & bicker

w/siblings 5 years

Delight in helping at home

Play better with siblings

Protective of younger siblings

6 years Do not get along well

with family members Self-centered

Argue with adult family members

Rough & impatient with younger siblings

Fight with older siblings

What do you think??? Why do you think it is emotionally

difficult for some parents to enforce the standards of behaviors they have set for their children?

Moral Development The process of learning to base one’s behavior

on beliefs about what is right and wrong Begins early in life Preschoolers start to learn the reasons for

rules They start to develop conscience – inner

sense of right and wrong that guides an individual’s behavior

Rules they learn in ECH – form the basis of their developing conscience

Do you think that boys and girls develop a sense of right and wrong at the same time?? Support your answers with evidence.

Guidelines for Moral Development

Set clear standards of behavior Respond to inappropriate behavior Talk about mistakes in private Understand children will test your limits Consider the child’s age & abilities It is a lifelong task to learn self discipline Continue to show love despite

misbehavior

Handling Lying Remember: Preschoolers have a hard time

telling fantasy from reality. At times, they are not deliberately lying.

You can show you know the difference, “ I will listen to your story and then I need to know what really happened.”

Lying at this is a misunderstanding Child may think they completed task – so they will

tell you they did. However, you do not think so Be sure the child understands the

instructions/directions

Handling Lying Sometimes – they do tell deliberate lies

Get attention Avoid punishment Please others & not risk losing love

Consider: Does he know he lied? Why is he lying? Do you need more information? Is the child Asking for attention

Model Moral Behavior Everyday actions

Children learn by following an example – learned behavior Do not send mixed messages

Television, movies & other media – influences

Questions Identify characteristics that marks the

emotional development of 4-6 year olds List five ways to reduce worry and

tension Describe how to help children develop

self-confidence List three social skills children must learn

as they begin school. Identify chacteristics of family relations

of 4-6 year olds

Questions Explain the relationship between

imagination and fear in the mind of a preschooler.

Describe how initiative and self-confidence are related.

Explain how parents/caregivers should handle lying.

Resolving Conflicts Preschoolers spend a lot of time with

other children = conflict Aggressive Behavior – hostile and at

times, destructive behaviors that people display when faced with conflict

Children need to learn that aggressive behavior is unacceptable

Resolving Conflicts Suggestions

Urge children to talk about their feelings Acknowledge the efforts of children to

resolve conflicts Model appropriate behavior

Social & Moral Development Competition – rivalry with the goal of

winning or outperforming others Teamwork and cooperation

Learning Gender Roles Preschoolers are beginning to grasp the

concept of how to fit into certain social groups Family, school, clubs, and others

Gender-role learning = learning what behavior is expected of males and females

Gender role is a major concept children learn in the preschool years.

How does gender role develop? By how others treat them and how they see

others in their male or female roles Sex-typing = treating boys and girls differently

Clothing Toys The way parents react

Children most often identify and imitate models of the same gender as well as: Teachers Characters from TV, movies, and storybooks

Cultural Differences Society’s view of male and female is not

as clearly defined as it once was! Traditional views:

Male – more aggressive, economic head of the family

Female – wife, mother How many of your mom’s stay-at-home?

Society’s view has CHANGED!

Sexual stereotyping = a statement or even a hint that men and women always do or should do certain tasks.

Extending Social Relations Social learning's:

Sharing Controlling anger Thinking of other’s feelings Making joint efforts with others

Adults are still important Still depend on adults for many of their

needs Adults are social models

Teach by example Model relationships Morals Self-control Manners And much more!!

Making Friends Depends on the following:

child’s friendliness Ability to follow group rules Lack of dependence on adults

Prefer friends of the same gender Self-centered view about friendships

They see friends as people who play with you, help you, share their toys with you, etc.

Creates a closed circle of friends “You can’t play with us!”

Learning from Play Groups Play experiences are richer with others

Learn new ideas Behave with peers Learn to play fairly Become less self-centered Learn that friends are fun!