Page 33 - Waterfall City Issue 5 May 2024

ME, MYSELF AND I

- Understanding Preschooler’s Social Development.

By Nicoleen Davies, Life Talk Forum

P reschoolers – those between Preschoolers are egocentric! hard to play co-operatively, share and

help, and often, their behaviour may
the ages of 3 - 6 years old are
This is the age of me, myself, and I.
be seen as socially damaging. This
now ready to learn to socialise.
This is the time for questions –
nasty, bullying, or anything negative
who, what, why, when. Understanding It is very typical for preschoolers to doesn’t mean they are intentionally
be egocentric. Young children see
the world around them becomes everything happening around them – they still have to learn that other
increasingly important as they become as it relates to themselves. They are people have feelings and can be
more independent, converse more, unable to differentiate between some hurt by words and actions. They will
and speak in longer sentences. This aspects of themselves and others. still learn to apply filters, empathy,
developmental age has a strong Their perspective is the only one that kindness and so on – all those social
social and emotional development matters. But they are not being selfish skills that help us get along.
component built primarily during play – they simply don’t yet understand a
and exposure to others. They will learn different point of view. What is social development?
to take turns and share and that there Social development is creating,
are rules to follow. All of this shows They are also straight shooters and say building, and sustaining meaningful
them there are other people in their it as it is. “I don’t like you anymore and relationships with others. It is a gradual,
world that they need to get along with. don’t want to be your friend”. It can be integrative process in which children

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