Emotional Development means developing a full range of emotions, from sad to happy to angry, and learning to handle them appropriately. This leads to deeper qualities – sympathy, caring, resilience, self-esteem, assertiveness and being able to rise to life's challenges.

Comfort Through the comfort and responsiveness of an adult, preschoolers will learn how to handle their emotions and how to seek help when needed. Parents Can: Model coping with emotions Provide their preschooler with some different coping strategies Child Will: Learn acceptable ways to cope Feel more in control of his emotions Parents Can: Help their preschooler cope with tantrums by talking to her about what makes her feel better when she is angry or sad Child Will: Learn to cope with anger/tantrums Feel supported when experiencing trying emotions Parents Can: Explore books that talk about emotions Ask or talk about why story characters may experience certain emotions (for example, "Why is the little girl sad?") Child Will: Begin to develop the ability to empathize with others Explore different feelings and the types of experiences that result in happiness, joy, anger or other emotions

Play Through opportunities for play, preschoolers will experience joyful, free, spontaneous moments of fun while also learning about themselves and others. Parents Can: Ask their preschooler who his favourite playmates are Arrange special play dates with his friends Child Will: Begin to show attachment to one playmate Feel validated, as you listened to him and took action Feel supported in his social needs Parents Can: Provide opportunities for their preschooler to make choices about play activities Child Will: Develop a sense of mastery and positive self-esteem in areas he likes Understand that he can make decisions that are respected Parents Can: Help their preschooler set small and achievable goals to be accomplished during play or other activities Child Will: Experience a sense of achievement Develop a sense of pride in the things she chooses to do Develop the ability to complete a task or activity Develop a strong sense of self

Teach Through routines, and emotionally and physically safe and secure environments, preschoolers can learn how to think, solve problems and communicate. Parents Can: Talk about experiences that make their preschooler happy Include such experiences on a daily basis, such as reading together, doing a puzzle, building with blocks and so on Child Will: Feel supported in her desires and needs Be inclined to share her feelings with you more consistently Feel respected when you engage in her favourite activities Parents Can: Provide their preschooler with tasks such as puzzles, or drawing that require some concentration (be sure to choose a task that is appropriate to your preschooler's abilities) Child Will: Learn to persevere on a task for a period of time Develop emotional skills to deal with challenges Parents Can: Give their preschooler some responsibility during daily routines, such as choosing his clothes and getting dressed Child Will: Feel good about himself Develop confidence in his ability to be responsible Anticipate when he needs to complete a task

Related Resources

Books for Children

	Fun With My 5 Senses: Activities to Build Learning Readiness
	I Like Me
	The Little Hands Playtime Book: 50 Activities to Encourage Cooperation and Sharing