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Early Childhood and Adolescent social and Emotional Development

How it is affected by prenatal development and care

The Effects

The environment and genetics both affect a child’s personality, temperament, and behavior from birth to early childhood, to adolescence and through adulthood (Anderman, et al., 2024). Then it also affects their experiences because a shy child is not going to be as adventurous or social as an outgoing child. A persistent and focused child will have an easier time in achieving higher levels of academics than a distracted or rambunctious child. Trust builds with early relationships between child to caregiver. Children learn early to love with a trusting bond that later helps them to be kind and respectful socially. Children who do not have the bonding relationship tend to be immature, dependent and show disrespectful behaviors.

Developmental Stages

Prenatal Stage:

Child development in the prenatal stage needs a good nutritional diet from the mother (Muzik, 2010). A positive and healthy attitude is also important for a healthy child to develop and grow to a healthy adult. In 2001, high rates of disability worldwide were linked to Major Depressive disorder (MDD) by the World Health Organization, calling it a major health concern.

The environment and biological factors both have influences on the growing child before and after birth and on through adulthood (Child, 2024). Nutrition, brain chemistry, hormones, and genetics are also contributing factors for health and child development.

Toddlerhood:

Toddler hood is from one to two years of life during the beginning of Preoperational stage (Yue, n.d.). Learning language is an important part of this stage and by age five, the brain is at 50% of adult size. The child will begin to walk, hop and learn patterns in things such as language, stories, rhymes, songs, and counting which they actively do every day (Eng, 2021). Toddlers have not yet grasped the past and future, they live in the present moment. They are selfish and have to learn to share.

Early Childhood Stage:

Early Childhood stage is approximately three to eight years old and still in the Preoperational stage. As children start school they interact with peers. Socialization with peers is an important step in developing social skills, critical thinking and reasoning skills (Anderman, et al., 2024). Peers can provide each other with emotional support to help solve problems. They also start to have personal opinions.

In early childhood development, imaginative play contributes to improving development. Adult like logic and reasoning begins about real life situations. The child starts understanding differences in perspectives of self and others. They realize that other people have feelings that may differ from their own. Children also start to realize that things can have similar or differences while still belonging to the same category. The same item can also be categorized in different categories.

Social and emotional strategies to implement in the classroom

Prenatal:

For the expectant teen mom’s class, the educator can explain how a healthy diet is best for the growing unborn child (Muzik, 2020). There are several disabilities linked to a poor diet, depression and stress from the pregnant mother. Delayed social and congnitive development skills can be cause by a depressed mother before and after birth. Educators can also explain that a safe and stress-free environment is best for the unborn baby as well because the baby feels the stress and anxiety along with the mother. The educator can counsel the expectant mothers to be sure they are living in a healthy and safe environment.

Toddlerhood:

Allow toddlers the freedom to safely explore and try new things, this helps them develop and learn to expand their mind (Eng, 2021). To help the toddler with perspectives, the caregiver can explain that it is great that they like to eat carrots while their sister likes to eat bananas. This will help them discover that people can like different things, and it is ok to be different. Educators can try to keep a schedule and mention activities that will happen in five minutes from now, activities that happened yesterday and will happen tomorrow to teach them a perspective of time difference.

Early Childhood:

Educators can continue pretend play so the children can use their curious and imaginative mind to expand and build social and emotional skills (Eng, 2021). Reading aloud and listening to the child read will help build cognitive development skills. Encourage practice to improve skills because the brain is constantly growing and learning. Continue keeping a schedule with brain breaks in transitions to another activity. Keep screen time limited to allow active play and educational hands on learning. Use diverse cultural songs, dance and readings while showing where they originated from on the map to build a multicultural sense within a diverse society.

Self-Regulation

Self-regulation is when the student applies themselves to independently follow through with a task (Anderman, et al., 2024). They understand and figure out how to plan, manage and execute their task while keeping emotions and behavior in check. For example, when a child can refocus their attention to another task or activity after finishing the previous activity in a calm manner. Another example is when multiple students get into a heated argument, the child that can self-regulate will keep calm and try to talk to the person while figuring out a solution.

The educator or teacher can encourage the development of self-regulation by helping the students set personal and academic goals that are realistic and achievable. There can be class meetings in the afternoon to talk about any issues from the day and how they can move forward with better choices. Educators can also encourage the students to assess their work then have a peer review so the students can assess each others work. They can give compliments, constructive criticism and advice to their classmates to help build cognitive skills.

Social and emotional learning strategies for families at home

Prenatal:

Encourage a healthy diet for the expectant mother. Help guide the mother to resources if she is in an unsafe and stressful living environment.

Toddler Stage:

Encourage the families to interact and be social with the toddler to build trusting and loving bonds. Singing songs, reading aloud and imaginative play helps the child develop cognitive skills.

Early Childhood:

At home, the child can be encouraged to limit screen time and participate in a hands-on activity where they use their imagination and social skills. Household duties can build a child’s sense of belonging and responsibility while improving their self-esteem. Chores or duties can be as simple as taking out the garbage, helping with a meal, setting the table, sweeping the floor, or cleaning their room. Taking a walk to the park or down a hiking trail can build trusting relationships at home and improve cognitive development.