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Whether we are parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or child care
providers, the messages we send children though our words and actions,
either intentionally or unintentionally, greatly influences their social
and emotional development.
Children need to be addressed by their name, they need to be
acknowledged when an adult enters a room or when a child walks into a
room. They should be addressed at their level so that eye contact
can be made. children need to be responded to, whether they are an
infant lying on their back cooing or a four-year-old asking,
"Why?"
We need to ask ourselves as adults if we are doing this for the
children in our lives. If the answer is no, then we must determine
how to begin providing positive interactions.
Children's emotional development is strengthened when we respond
positively to them. It creates a strong sense of self-worth and a
sense of belonging. The child who is responded to positively will
continue to ask questions and feel confident in doing so. As a
result he will continue asking questions as he enters school, which will
allow him to increase his knowledge. Some children receive negative
responses. For instance, a toddler who is consistently told to
"shut up" or "leave me alone" has a very different
experience than the child who is acknowledged more positively.
This child will withdraw and feel insecure or he may react aggressively
towards others.
Some parents or family members may not realize the damage they are
doing with these negative responses. Unfortunately, they may be
responding in a way that they were responded to as a child or they might
respond negatively because of unrealistic expectations of what their
child should be able to do.
Remembering that a child's social and emotional development is the
foundation for learning is a critical piece to each child's life.
A child who is confident and secure is a child who is willing to take
risks, ask questions, look for new ways of doing things, and one who is
eager to learn.
----Rockingham Partnership for Children
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