Social Development means being able to make friends and get along with others, to work as part of a team and be a good leader, all of which are built on self-confidence, cooperation and trust.

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: Praise their preschooler for his efforts Provide feedback about what he does well (such as getting dressed on his own) Child Will: Be encouraged to take on more activities independently Gain confidence Feel motivated to be more independent Parents Can: Be available to their preschooler, even when she is playing or working on her own, and be prepared to talk Child Will: Know that you take an interest in her activities Feel valued by your availability Feel secure Parents Can: Give their preschooler a special responsibility, such as helping to water the flowers in the garden Child Will: Feel he has a special role Feel independent Gain confidence and have a stronger sense of self

Play Through opportunities for play, preschoolers will experience joyful, free, spontaneous moments of fun while also learning about themselves and others. Parents Can: Provide opportunities for their preschooler to play with other preschoolers Child Will: Develop her ability to share Practice turn-taking Comply with your request Parents Can: Praise turn-taking during everyday routines, such as waiting for his turn to take a bath or helping with dinner Child Will: Begin to practice turn-taking, even in everyday events Begin to refine the necessary social skills for school Parents Can: Spend time playing simple games that require turn-taking, for example, card games such as "Memory" or "Go Fish" Child Will: Gain confidence Develop turn-taking skills Begin to understand expectations of games with rules Enjoy playing with you

Teach Through routines, and emotionally and physically safe and secure environments, preschoolers can learn how to think, solve problems and communicate. Parents Can: Ask their preschooler about her day, with specific open-ended questions. For example, "What was one special thing you did?" or "Who did you enjoying playing with today?" Child Will: Feel her comments are valued Seek your approval for the good things that happened in her day Want to talk to you more often about her day Parents Can: Explain to their preschooler the reasons behind requests. For example, "Go to bed so that you can be rested and ready to play in the morning" Child Will: Comply with requests more often Understand that there are reasons behind requests Have a better understanding of routines, rules and limits

Related Resources

Books for Children

	Franklin's New Friend
	Fun With My 5 Senses: Activities to Build Learning Readiness
	Making Friends
	Talk, Baby!
	The Little Hands Playtime Book: 50 Activities to Encourage Cooperation and Sharing

Books for Parents

	Siblings Without Rivalry: How to Help Your Children Live Together, so You can Live too
	The Challenging Child: Understanding, Raising, and Enjoying the Five "Difficult" Types of Children