The Family Five: 5 ways to develop social-emotional learning at home
With our children home now more than ever, social-emotional learning (SEL) should be an important focus for all families. SEL refers to the set of skills your child uses to understand their emotions and the emotions of others. These skills are what children use to express their feelings, form relationships and adapt to life’s changes. Here are five things you can do with your children to help develop social-emotional skills:
Find creative ways to talk: Think out loud so that your child hears your thought process and learns how to solve problems. Use bedtime stories as a time to talk about feelings. Facilitate conversations with your child about how they think the character in the story felt or what they should have done. Get creative and use puppets or stuffed animals to teach children feeling words, such as sad, angry, frustrated. Children are sometimes more comfortable discussing difficult topics during pretend play.
Create and maintain a schedule: A daily schedule allows children to rely on a sense of predictability and creates a feeling of safety. Allowing children to be involved in the creation of the schedule helps them practice decision making and self-management. It gives children an opportunity to reflect on their days, so they can make choices to help manage their emotions in the future.
Prevent potential problems: Times of transition can be especially challenging for young children. You can help ease the stress of these times by explaining what they are about to experience. Break down what will happen into steps and discuss what your expectations for behavior are. Provide reminders during the event. Young children feel safe and secure when they can anticipate what is coming next.
Practice gratitude: Acknowledging and expressing what a child is grateful for is an important skill to develop. Start a gratitude journal or facilitate a daily discussion dedicated to giving thanks. Practicing gratitude helps children increase self-awareness by allowing them to reflect on positive aspects of their life. Try to encourage children to provide specific things they are thankful for to encourage deeper thinking.
Reset your body: Strong emotions are often felt throughout our body. Practicing relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises or stretching routines, help children effectively manage their emotional responses. You can use these techniques as a homework break, to wind down for bed, or to help your child during times of stress.
Hello! I am Amanda Robertson, and I am the Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist for Oakland Family Services’ Children’s Learning Centers. I have been working with children for almost 20 years and have one baby girl of my own. I have a master’s degree in counseling from Oakland University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in child development. My career began with teaching day care and expanded to various positions including ABA therapy, child welfare and residential treatment. I absolutely love what I do and love being a part of Oakland Family Services!