Page 22 - Dainfern Precinct Living Issue 4 May 2024

TODAY'S CHILD
Initiative

preschoolers understand others stories and play to discuss others and their possessions.
is to sit with them and read various feelings.
books in which the characters • Relationship skills – they start
experience emotion. Discuss • Focus on teaching them to develop the ability to self-
how your child would feel in the problem-solving skills. These regulate, to show empathy and
same situation. can be applied to relationships, to understand other people’s
situations and their own perspectives.
• Encourage your child to talk feelings.
about their feelings – why they • Responsible decision-making –
are sad, angry or happy. There are five elements to a parents are involved in guiding
preschooler’s developmental process, their child to think about a
• Help your child make namely: problematic situation and how
connections with others. Explain to go about resolving it.
to them why a friend might not • Self-awareness – this is when
want to play with them. Maybe preschoolers become aware Every age has unique challenges;
that friend is shy, sad, or not of their gender, features, etc. parenting means adapting, supporting,
feeling well. They are becoming increasingly nurturing, guiding and being present with
independent as they begin your children.
• Be gentle, calm and consistent playing with their peers and
in how you parent your become less reliant on their Remember: your children mirror what
preschooler through this phase parents in a social setting. they see, so show empathy towards
in the context of the social and others, be mindful of how you interact
emotional learning they are • Self-management – this is with others, talk about your emotions,
experiencing. when they learn to control their and share your treats with them – they
emotions and behaviour in a will learn from you!
• Encourage them to name range of situations, especially
their feelings through words or when things don’t go the way
pictures. they want them to.
• Remind them that all feelings • Social awareness –
are okay if they are expressed understanding how they fit into
clearly and considerately. the world. They start developing
values and attitudes toward
• Use books, songs, games, others and learn to show for

20 DPL issue 4 2024