Fostering Social and Emotional Development

You’ve probably notice how young children seem to wear their hearts on their sleeves. They naturally let you know how they’re feeling. This authenticity is a wonderful quality of childhood but children also need support in learning how to express and process their emotions, especially in the context of social situations. Early interactions affect how children view themselves, others, and the world around them. As the adults in their lives, we have many opportunities to foster the development of their social and emotional acuity.

This month at PFM, we’re focusing on how to support these interactions for all children and families in our school and have attached an article that outlines realistic expectations and easy tips for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers for you to reference as well.

Healthy Eating Habits

Heading into the New Year, we often find ourselves (re)committing to lifestyle choices that we feel improve our lives. After a potentially indulgent holiday season, this usually means more intentionality in our eating habits. Raising a child who is a joy to feed can be tricky, especially when dealing with pickiness, concerns of overeating, and schedules in flux. But following a division of responsibility in feeding, involving your child in the cooking process, and enjoying your food together all help to establish a child’s fruitful relationship with food.

Family therapist and feeding specialist, Ellyn Satter, recommends taking leadership with what, when, and where eating occurs and letting your child determine how much and whether to eat what you provide. During infancy, this means feeding your child “on demand” but as your child’s eating patterns become more regular, you gradually take on the responsibility for when and where to feed. And by the end of the first year or so, your child can begin taking part in family meals and sit down snacks. Once he gets situated with the routine of eating in this manner, this is a great time to introduce small decision making into the what and how of meal planning, doing grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning up together. According to Satter, “When you do your jobs with feeding, your child will do his with eating.”  

Click here to see more tips and strategies from Ellyn’s philosophy on division of responsibility. And for those picky eaters, Early Sprouts has a great handout on patience, persistence, and acceptance of your child’s current relationship with certain foods.

The Importance of Play

Play is the work of the child. They’re driven to explore, discover, and experiment. It is how they learn and grow. According to the book, From Play to Practice, meaningful play must:

• Be fun and enjoyable

• Have no set goals

• Be spontaneous and voluntary

• Involve active engagement

• Involve an element of make-believe

As you sit down to play with your children, think about these things…

• Watch and listen. Take time to observe how your child is playing, delighting in their discoveries, noticing their interests, and understanding their motives and intentions. You may be surprised by what you see.

• Narrate what you’re seeing and give specific feedback. Instead of a simple “good job,” you can offer phrases that describe their process, pinpoint what you liked about their play, or acknowledge their effort.

• Extend their play. Offer other materials, model play yourself, or ask open ended questions to introduce new skills, insight, or possibilities.

• Play alongside them. They watch us constantly and delight in your discoveries too. You’re sharing with them the value of lifelong learning and fun!

For more information on the benefits of play, check out this article. And for examples of play in the infant and toddler stages, click below…

Birth to 12 months

12 to 24 months

24 to 36 months

How to 'fall back' with kids and not lose (too much) sleep

Next Sunday marks the end of Daylight Savings Time. This can throw your child's natural sleep rhythm off (as well as your own), so in order to prepare for the extra hour, check out these tips from Motherly.

1. Shift your child's sleep schedule slightly in the days leading up to it

2. Anticipate early rising

3. Be mindful of exposure to sunlight and darkness

4. Get enough sleep before the time change

5. Be patient and try not to worry

Click here for the full article.

With all the focus on your kid's sleep, don't forget to take care of yourself, too! Make sure you're getting the rest you need as well, so you can be more emotionally available for your child during this time. And remember, these effects are short lived, so within a week or so, everything should be back to normal. Rest up, be patient, and good luck!

Soothing Your Toddler's Fears

Halloween brings up many emotions for young children. It can be fun, creative, and silly, but it can also be scary for some. Children often exhibit more fears during early childhood as their development in memory, expectations, and imagination increases.

As adults, we can gradually help children manage their emotional reactions to a variety of stimuli. It could be talking or drawing about what they’re afraid of, walking them through what to expect in an upcoming situation, acting out a situation using puppets, or reading books about their fear. It’s tempting to remove stressors from their lives, but in actuality, small bits of stress, with support and guidance, add coping strategies to their repertoire and aid the development of emotional regulation.

For tips on how to handle Halloween and how to soothe your child’s fears, even after toddlerhood, please read here.

Everyday Ways to Support Your Baby's and Toddler's Early Learning

Learning begins the moment your child enters the world. They learn about themselves, their caregivers, and their surrounding environment. Within the first three years — a critical period — your child will observe and experience lessons and interactions that shape their early learning experiences.

The below areas highlight opportunities to enhance early learning while caring for your child:

• Language and communication

• Thinking skills

• Self-control

• Self-confidence

The way you communicate with your child shapes future communication skills and interactions. Learn more about these areas, as well as tips and best practices here.

Help Your Child Develop Self-Control

Self-control is defined as the ability to express and cope with strong emotions in a healthy, productive manner. For infants and young children, this may include saying, “I’m mad at you,” rather than hitting or biting a peer or family member. Self-control requires critical thinking skills, an integral part of child development. Young children learn these skills through interactions with others and guidance from parents and caregivers.

Infants are born with little-to-no self-control, but these skills will develop over time! Parents and caregivers can promote self-control by providing supportive and nurturing care. For example, if an infant becomes upset when being changed, the caregiver can communicate with the infant. Saying “I see you’re upset, and we are almost done,” can be meaningful for the baby. This validates the infant’s emotions and assures them their needs will be met.

In the classroom, our teachers and assistant staff demonstrate empathy and self-control when engaging with students. We invite you to read more about how to help your child develop self-control in this article.

Learning to Write and Draw

Children begin developing writing and drawing skills at a young age. An interest in holding and utilizing a writing utensil (such as a crayon) may begin as early as 15 months. From 15 months to three years, a child’s creativity, and in turn, their ability to write and draw, expands.

Writing stems from drawing, so it is important to allow your child the opportunity to draw as soon as they express an interest. At PFM, art is incorporated in all levels of learning — the infant classroom, in addition to the toddler and preschool students, greatly enjoy dedicated art time.

In this article, you can learn the four stages of writing, beginning in infancy. If you have questions about your child’s writing or drawing skills, we welcome your communication!