Social-Emotional Skills

Building Decision-Making Skills

My six-year-old has become a bundle of indecisiveness. The I don’t knows come out of her mouth like a reflex or knee-jerk reaction. From simple things (like what to eat for breakfast) to more involved ones (like what to spend her money on), she is really struggling with the deciding process. It also seems to [...]

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7 Ways to Help Anxious Kids

Have you read the book Wemberly Worried? Worry, worry, worry. Too much worry. We have a worrier in our house – my seven-year-old daughter, Natalie. I can totally relate to her – I get that nervous stomach, too! I wouldn’t say her anxious tendencies are debilitating, but they are something we struggle with on a [...]

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Emotions + Preschoolers

Social-Emotional Skills for Preschoolers: Part 5 Regulating Emotions We’ve made it to the last of this five-part series on social-emotional skills for preschoolers! Today I’m going to focus on the up-and-down emotional world of preschoolers. During this time in their development, preschoolers are learning how to express what they are feeling and what to do [...]

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Problem Solving & Conflict Resolution

Social-Emotional Skills for Preschoolers: Part 4 Problem Solving & Conflict Resolution Problem Solving Practice Provide a variety of open-ended toys that encourage creative thinking and experimentation. Talk out loud while you solve problems to model effective problem-solving strategies. Ask questions more often than you give answers. Get in the habit of saying, “What do you [...]

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Listening and Following Directions

Social-Emotional Skills for Preschoolers: Part 3 Listening & Following Directions Whenever I talk with other parents, this is a pretty hot topic! There are really two separate issues to discuss when we are looking at a preschooler’s ability to listen and follow directions. The first is about building skill — developing the ability to take [...]

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Initiative, Independence, & Responsibility

Social-Emotional Skills for Preschoolers: Part 2 Initiative, Independence, & Responsibility “I can do it myself!” is definitely one of the mantras of the preschool crowd. As children’s abilities grow and develop, so does their drive for independence. Our job is to provide them with a safe, encouraging environment in which to practice, practice, practice their [...]

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Curiosity, Invention, & Imagination

Thumbnail image for Curiosity, Invention, & Imagination

Lucky for us, preschoolers usually have an abundance of these three traits – curiosity, invention, and imagination. These skills don’t necessarily need to be taught, but we can focus on arranging the child’s environment to foster and encourage creative exploration. Why are these traits important? Curiosity provides intrinsic motivation to learn. Asking “Why?” often leads [...]

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