The emotional development of young children and older children is an essential aspect of education. Usually, preschoolers who are not capable of the usual expression of their emotions and definition of the emotional background of another person are more depressed and closed to the outside world. As a consequence, this leads to severe problems – from lagging in the learning process to the actual social isolation. It follows from this that the emotional development of children is as important as the intellectual one. Although some believe that emotional growth can develop throughout life, it is still essential to pay attention to the preschool formation of socio-emotional development.
Such aspects as feelings and emotions play a significant role in the life of any person. The early preschool period is when a multicolored palette of textures is being studied, and the child learns to recognize and correctly show their experiences. At this stage, the children learn new feelings such as empathy or anticipation. The development of the emotional sphere of the child occurs gradually, and it is no less important than physical or mental development. Thanks to positive emotions, the ability to memorize information and speak is improved. Some children are overly impressionable, and as a result, any emotional stimulation has a strong effect on them.
At first, the child’s communication with others occurs only through the manifestation of emotions. Therefore, for the normal emotional development of the baby, a variety of emotions are needed. Children perceive the world very emotionally. The explosion of emotions is short and can be very violent, and the child cannot yet control their feelings. The child’s emotional reactions are unconscious and unstable – the baby can cry and suddenly start laughing after a few seconds. If a child grows up in a friendly atmosphere, they are almost always cheerful. This condition is extremely important for forming the baby’s personality, the basis of his attitude to others. With stable and natural development of the emotional sphere, children have many opportunities to become healthy and successful in the future.
The article by Malik and Marwaha titled Developmental Stages of Social-Emotional Development in Children describes the need for various aspects that are together with the socio-emotional formation of the child. Such elements, according to the authors, include affection, temperament, and sensitive cooperation between children and educators (Malik & Marwaha, 2021). The article also describes the features of a child’s emotional development at different stages of age change. During the time when children begin to contact adults, even when they are still an infant, they are laying a social and emotional foundation (Malik & Marwaha, 2021). Already at this stage, adults need to pay attention to how the emotional basis of development is formed.
The first emotions that children can demonstrate with the help of facial expressions are anger, fear, and joy. These emotions are the most vivid, and thus it is easier for children to broadcast their feelings so that parents can understand and help them. According to Malik & Marwaha (2021) infants manipulate adults through their emotions, and later, at the next stage of development, they create the most stable connection with each other. When the child reaches 12 months and beyond, they begin to explore the world around them, play various games, and show their emotions. Children begin to “feed” toys, portray a variety of feelings with facial expressions, gestures, and change the tone of voice at the age of two.
Further, when children turn 5-6 years old, they learn other emotions generated by various situations. They can feel guilty and apologies, and, when they are praised, they have joy caused by pride in themselves (Malik & Marwaha, 2021). Children also learn friendship, and they like to spend time with their peers; they develop imagination. They can change clothes and perform various roles, thus socializing and strengthening their interpersonal ties. Malik & Marwaha (2021) state that being 7-8 years old, children begin to consciously relate to relationships and rules of behavior in society. At this stage, children also find best friends and begin to communicate with the opposite sex.
Even though primarily children develop rightly, there are still cases when development does not occur correctly. Some parents cannot devote enough time to the upbringing and development of the child (Malik & Marwaha, 2021). Children can develop various disorders, for example, autism, attention deficit, stress disorders, and so on. It is imperative to discover a potential problem in the socio-emotional aspect of the child’s formation in time and start working with psychologists and teachers.
Djamnezhad et al. (2021), in their article Social and Emotional Learning in Preschool Settings: A Systematic Map of Systematic Reviews, emphasize that preschool age is significant for the formation of emotional and social development of children. Children should develop in a unique environment with its context, where they can develop various skills and acquire new character traits. Preschoolers communicating with their kind cultivate special social and emotional skills, that then impact their academic performance in mental development and mental health (Djamnezhad et al., 2021). Various programs developed by specialists help form positive relationships of children with each other and with adults; in addition, children learn to set and achieve goals.
Children have emotional and need characteristics that are directly related to the fact that self-awareness is formed in them. The emotional-volitional sphere develops under the influence of how parents communicate with the child (Djamnezhad et al., 2021). It is with close relatives that children cooperate, which helps them learn about new subjects, but at the same time emotional communication is preserved. Djamnezhad et al. (2021) state that in addition to unconditional love and emotional warmth, the child expects the direct participation of adults in all their affairs and a joint solution to any task. Such tasks include building turrets, collecting puzzles, and manifesting themselves in board games. Around such collective actions, new forms of communication with adults unfold for the child.
The emotional development of young children is essential during the crisis of three years of ageThis period of development is characterized by the appearance of aggressive behavior towards parents, children manipulate adults and may be jealous of younger or older brothers or sisters. This demonstrates the changes in children and their attitude to others and to themselves. It is very important that parents treat the child respectfully, and do not show them a negative attitude. Parents need to show by their own example how to behave in certain situations.
Humphries et al., in the article Early Childhood Teachers’ Perspectives on Social-Emotional Competence and Learning in Urban Classrooms, draw attention to the fact that the emotional sphere is an essential component in the development of preschoolers and younger schoolchildren. This is because no communication or interaction will be effective if its participants cannot understand another person’s mood and react to it correctly (Humphries et al., 2018). Understanding one’s own emotions and feelings is also an important moment in the formation of a growing person’s personality. Emotional well-being provides high self-esteem, formed self-control, orientation to success in achieving goals, and emotional comfort in the family and outside the family.
Emotional well-being is the most extensive concept for determining the success of a child’s development. The emergence of an emotional reaction to praise creates conditions for developing self-esteem and a sense of pride (Humphries et al., 2018). At first, feelings of satisfaction are unstable and arise only when an adult directly evaluates a child. As positive evaluations of the same qualities are repeated, pride becomes stable and permanent. There is a need for regular maintenance of a positive assessment of an adult that satisfies the baby’s self-esteem, which indicates the emergence of the first rudiments of self-esteem.
Each of the selected articles demonstrates the need for the socio-emotional development of a preschool child and not the expectation that this will be formed throughout life. With the admission of a child to kindergarten, a new stage of his emotional development begins. A powerful motivator for the manifestation of emotions is the children’s collective and various types of joint activities organized by the educator with peers, where the child acquires emotional experience in communicating with other people and develops a confident attitude towards themselves. Adults contribute to creating a positive attitude toward the people around them, fostering respect and tolerance regardless of social origin, race, nationality, language, religion, gender, age, and personal and behavioral identity.
Adults help to understand that all people are different, and it is necessary to respect the self-esteem of other people and consider their opinions, desires, and views in communication, play, and joint activities. The child must be willing and able to help and support another person. Adults create opportunities to introduce children to the values of cooperation with other people and help them realize the need for people in each other. In order for this to work correctly, parents need to praise their children and involve them in joint play and activities.
In conclusion, adults contribute to the development of children’s social skills. They help master various ways of resolving conflict situations, negotiating, following the order, and establishing new contacts. It is essential to create conditions for developing a careful, responsible attitude of the child to the surrounding nature, peers, and adults. The emotional perspective on people’s lives laid down at this time, and the presence or absence of incentives for intellectual development leaves an indelible imprint on all other behavior and way of thinking of a person. Each person should be able to listen to the other, perceive and strive to understand him. It is imperative and necessary for children to develop socially and emotionally since this development allows them to build working and family relationships in the future. Social and emotional development must be monitored from childhood, even before the child starts attending school. It is necessary to know that the socio-emotional background of preschoolers is formed correctly and, if there are problems, start working on them.
References
Djamnezhad, D., Koltcheva, N., Dizdarevic, A., Mujezinovic, A., Peixoto, C., Coelho, V., Achten, M., Kolumbán, E., Machado, F., & Hofvander, B. (2021). Social and emotional learning in preschool settings: A systematic map of systematic reviews. Frontiers in Education, 6(1), 1-12.
Malik, F., Marwaha, R. (2018). Developmental stages of social emotional development in children. Stat Pearls Publishing.
Humphries, M., Williams, B., & May, T. (2018). Early childhood teachers’ perspectives on social-emotional competence and learning in urban classrooms. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 34(2), 157-179.