How to Support Social Development in Young Children
Recognize that social development starts at birth., Show your child that you love them., Embrace your child with support and security., Allow your baby to interact with multiple people of different ages., Arrange “play dates” at a young age.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Recognize that social development starts at birth.
Many people think that social development starts around the time that children enter school, because that is when they are interacting with other children the most.
Although this is when they begin "using" social skills, social development actually starts much earlier.
In fact, it starts during infancy. -
Step 2: Show your child that you love them.
Lots of pats, hugs, nice words, praise and encouragement let your child feel special and loved.
When you satisfy their need for love, they learn, through example, how to love others and to return love and attention. , Young children are totally dependent on you.
When frightened or insecure, they will shrink back to you and ask for protection.
Respond to this need and offer them protection so they learn to trust you and develop faith in other people. , A parent can support the development of strong social skills by allowing interaction with multiple people of different ages.
Although the baby may seem too young to be aware of the differences, they are actually very sensitive to the smell and touch of the people that hold them.
Allowing your baby to stay with a family member or babysitter for a few hours at a time will help them learn that there are other people they can rely on aside from their immediate family.
This early support will also help lessen the separation anxiety that children usually go through when they are a little older. , Another way to support social development in an infant is to arrange play dates even before they are able to crawl or sit up.
This is as simple as putting two non-sibling babies near each other for “tummy time” on a blanket on the floor.
Although very young children do not seem to interact or play with each other, they are aware that the other child is nearby and are actually in the beginning stages of developing empathy, a very important social skill.
Often, if one baby is cooing and happy, the other baby will seem to copy this.
The same is true if one baby is fussy and crying.
Parents can also support the development of empathy by copying the baby’s emotions, cooing in response to the baby’s cooing or acting sad when the baby is sad.
It does not really matter whether the children are facing each other or not. -
Step 3: Embrace your child with support and security.
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Step 4: Allow your baby to interact with multiple people of different ages.
-
Step 5: Arrange “play dates” at a young age.
Detailed Guide
Many people think that social development starts around the time that children enter school, because that is when they are interacting with other children the most.
Although this is when they begin "using" social skills, social development actually starts much earlier.
In fact, it starts during infancy.
Lots of pats, hugs, nice words, praise and encouragement let your child feel special and loved.
When you satisfy their need for love, they learn, through example, how to love others and to return love and attention. , Young children are totally dependent on you.
When frightened or insecure, they will shrink back to you and ask for protection.
Respond to this need and offer them protection so they learn to trust you and develop faith in other people. , A parent can support the development of strong social skills by allowing interaction with multiple people of different ages.
Although the baby may seem too young to be aware of the differences, they are actually very sensitive to the smell and touch of the people that hold them.
Allowing your baby to stay with a family member or babysitter for a few hours at a time will help them learn that there are other people they can rely on aside from their immediate family.
This early support will also help lessen the separation anxiety that children usually go through when they are a little older. , Another way to support social development in an infant is to arrange play dates even before they are able to crawl or sit up.
This is as simple as putting two non-sibling babies near each other for “tummy time” on a blanket on the floor.
Although very young children do not seem to interact or play with each other, they are aware that the other child is nearby and are actually in the beginning stages of developing empathy, a very important social skill.
Often, if one baby is cooing and happy, the other baby will seem to copy this.
The same is true if one baby is fussy and crying.
Parents can also support the development of empathy by copying the baby’s emotions, cooing in response to the baby’s cooing or acting sad when the baby is sad.
It does not really matter whether the children are facing each other or not.
About the Author
Joshua Knight
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow home improvement tutorials.
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