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: Take out an old photo album, and look at the various family members engaging in different activities Child Will: Enjoy looking at himself and others Remember the shared experiences Have an increased sense of belonging to the family Parents Can: Provide opportunities for their older preschooler to create her own stories, either by drawing pictures or just by telling them to others Child Will: Use her imagination Experiment with her ideas and see your reaction Enjoy talking and sharing her ideas with you Parents Can: Offer praise for their preschooler's efforts at independence Child Will: Feel proud of his accomplishments and have a strong sense of his abilities Feel encouraged to continue to try Seek adult approval more often

Play Through opportunities for play, preschoolers will experience joyful, free, spontaneous moments of fun while also learning about themselves and others. Parents Can: Encourage more sophisticated dramatic play by providing props for a restaurant or grocery shopping expedition Child Will: Practice adult skills she has observed Engage in problem-solving and conversation Use her creativity and imagination Parents Can: Provide many opportunities for social interactions with other preschoolers Child Will: Practice social skills while playing with his peers Begin to create his own games and rules Feel more confident with certain skills Feel a sense of belonging Parents Can: Encourage participation in interactive games, such as hide-and-seek, tag, Farmer in the Dell and so on Child Will: Enjoy playing with you Learn to play cooperative games

Teach Through routines, and emotionally and physically safe and secure environments, preschoolers can learn how to think, solve problems and communicate. Parents Can: Encourage their preschooler to stay involved in play activities. For example, if he says he is finished drawing when he has made only a stick figure, ask what else the person in the picture might like to do. Don't dictate answers, but gently guide your preschooler to stick to a task for longer periods Child Will: Learn to persist on a task Learn to sustain interest and attention for longer periods of time Spend time playing on his own Parents Can: Give their older preschooler the opportunity to play with younger children Child Will: Feel a sense of leadership Learn to recognize when a younger child may need some help Feel valued and important