SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Parents and teachers play an important role in the emotional development of children. As they grow older, though, other people in their surroundings also play a part in their social and emotional development.

Emotional development takes place in tandem with a child's experiences from birth through late adolescence. Growth and changes concerning emotions occur during this stage. Emotional development also occurs along with social and cultural influences.

All children differ in their individual development. Along with physical and cognitive development are phases of emotional development.

While parents admit to having little information on emotional development, they admit that their actions have great influence on their children's emotional development.

In early childhood, verbal skills and verbal reasoning develop. Children at this stage are now able to talk about their feelings, as they learn how to express themselves verbally.

When they enter preschool, they are able to label their emotions and learn about them by understanding family discussions and actions concerning emotions.

As children enter school, they gain a greater sense of self and an understanding of how specific situations can lead them to experience emotions. They can experience shame and can also begin to understand how an event can lead to mixed emotions.

School-aged children begin developing basic emotional coping skills. They may rationalize situations and behaviors or reconstruct scenarios to make them seem less upsetting emotionally.

The ability to suppress negative emotions is part of normal development, as well as other influences.

Adolescence is considered an emotional period of development. Although adolescents begin to develop independence from their parents and begin to display social signs of independence, their emotional autonomy is represented by conflict and often negative emotions.

One reason for the negative emotions may be cognitive development of abstract thinking abilities. Social problems become more complex, and adolescents look to their peers to help provide a basis for how to manage the emotions they feel.

Family issues and other place a great deal of pressure on adolescent emotions. This may give way to self-doubt or feelings of worthlessness. Adolescents may feel pulled between the close emotional ties they have with their parents and a need to develop independent emotional responses.

This is why as constant adults in our students’ lives, we should look after them not just academically, but emotionally as well.