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It can help children learn to share, communicate, learn empathy, etc.

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Social development in early childhood and how it can affect your kids

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Discover how UNIS Hanoi educators support social development in early childhood (preschool) with this informative article. Read now!

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At birth, joy, anger, and fear are three distinctive emotions.

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Continuing Education Activity

To apply knowledge regarding human growth and development, healthcare professionals need to be aware of 2 areas: (1) milestone competencies, for example, growth in the motor, cognitive, speech-language, and social-emotional domains, and (2) the eco-biological model of development, specifically, the interaction of environment and biology and their influence on development. This activity reviews the developmental stages of social-emotional development and discusses the role of the interprofessional team in educating parents on when they should expect children to achieve each milestone.

Objectives:

Describe milestone competencies in children.

Summarize the eco-biologic model of development in children.

Review social-emotional development in children.

Outline the developmental stages of social-emotional development and cover the role of the interprofessional team in educating parents on when they should expect children to achieve each milestone.

Access free multiple choice questions on this topic.
Introduction

To understand human growth and development, healthcare professionals need to understand and learn about 2 areas: (1) knowledge of milestone competencies, for example, growth in the motor, cognitive, speech-language, and social-emotional domains, and (2) the eco-biological model of development, specifically, the interaction of environment and biology and their influence on development.[1][2] This article reviews the developmental stages of social-emotional development and also discusses the role of the interprofessional team in identifying the cause of social-emotional problems and therefore, intervening effectively.

Social-emotional development covers 2 important concepts of development including the development of self or temperament and relationship to others or attachment. Clinicians will be able to identify and intervene to resolve social-emotional problems in early childhood if they have a better understanding of these concepts

Temperament

Temperament is an innate attribute that defines the child's approach to the world and his interaction with the environment across 9 dimensions which are activity level, distractibility, the intensity of emotions, regularity, sensory threshold, and the tendency to approach versus withdrawing, adaptability, persistence, and mood quality. We can define temperament as the child's "style" or "personality," and it is intrinsic to a child. It influences child behavior and interaction with others. Based on the above attributes that define temperament, researchers have categorized young children's temperament into 3 broad temperamental categories:

1. Easy or flexible: This category includes children who are friendly and easygoing, comply with routines such as sleep and mealtimes, adapt to changes, and have a calm disposition.

2. Active or feisty: Children who are fussy, do not follow routines and have irregular feeding and sleeping schedules, are apprehensive of a new environment and new people, have intense reactions, and get easily upset.

3. Slow to warm up or cautious: Children who may be less engaged or active, have a shy disposition to a new situation and new people, may withdraw or have a negative reaction. They become more comfortable and warm up with repeated exposure to a new environment or person.

This classification is for ease of discussion, and all temperaments will not fit into one or other categories exactly. Discussion about temperament with parents and caregivers can better identify the child's strengths and needs. Based on this, caregivers can adapt their management and caregiving styles to match the child's temperament. This can mold a child's behavior and facilitate the child's successful interaction with the environment, defined as "goodness of fit."[3]

Attachment

The social-emotional development begins with parental bonding with the child. This bonding allows the mother to respond to the child's needs timely and soothe their newborn. The consistent availability of the caregiver results in the development of "basic trust" and confidence in the infant for the caregiver during the first year of life. Basic trust is the first psychosocial stage described by Erickson. This allows the infant to seek for parents or the caregiver during times of stress, known as attachment.[4]

Even before acquiring language, babies learn to communicate through emotions. One may argue that learning emotional regulation and impulse control may determine later success in life more than IQ. There is a rapid growth in social and emotional areas of the brain during the first 18 months of life. The nonverbal parts of the right brain, including the amygdala and the limbic system, receives, processes and interprets stimulus from the environment that produce an emotional response and build emotional and stress regulatory systems of the body. The lower limbic system, outside the cortex, dictates most of our spontaneous, instinctive emotional responses, like fear resulting in a racing heart or weak knees. The upper limbic system part of the cerebral cortex, known as the limbic cortex, controls conscious awareness of emotions and refines the responses according to the environmental culture of the individual. The amygdala is an almond-shaped structure that lies at the junction of the cortex and subcortical areas of the brain and plays a pivotal role in sensing emotions and connects them both to higher and lower limbic structures. During the second half of infancy, emotional information from the lower limbic system moves up and becomes part of the babies' consciousness. Frontal lobe activity increases and myelination of the limbic pathways also begin during this time. With this gain in the limbic system, a caregiver's soothing and consistent response to the child's emotions develops into the child's attachment to the caregiver, usually the mother. Attachment is regarded as a pivotal event in a person's emotional development. It lays the foundation of a child's security, harbors self-esteem, and builds emotional regulation and self-control skills.

Function

In healthy children, social-emotional stages develop on an expected trajectory, and monitoring these milestones is an imperative part of preventative health supervision visits. The caregiver's sensitive and available supportive role is imperative to establish attachment and the skill set that follows.

Three distinct emotions are present from birth; anger, joy, and fear, revealed by universal facial expressions. Cognitive input is not required for emotional response at this stage. During the brief periods of alertness in the newborn period, the newborn may return a mother's gaze. Soon the infant explores her face. The first measurable social milestone is around one to two months of age, and it is the infant's social smile in response to parental high-pitched vocalizations or smiles. She recognizes the caregiver's smell and voice and responds to gentle touch. Infants can use a distinct facial expression to express emotions in an appropriate context after 2 months of age. In the first 2 to 3 months infant learns to regulate physiologically and needs smooth routines. She progressively learns to calm herself, gives a responsive smile, and responds to gentle calming.

Sensitive cooperative interaction with the caregiver helps the infant to learn how to manage tension. Around 4 months of age turn-taking conversation (vocalizations) begin. The infant learns to manipulate his environment. They let their caregiver know whether taking away his toy upsets them or if they are happy when held. A sensitive but firm response from the caregiver helps infants manage emotional stress. She can recognize the primary caregiver by sight at around 5 months of age. In between 6 to 12 months effective attachment relationships establish with a responsive caregiver. Stranger anxiety emerges as an infant distinguishes between the familiar and unfamiliar. The infant becomes mutually engaged in her interactions with the caregiver. The infant seeks a caregiver for comfort, help, and play. He shows distress upon separation.

Around 8 months of age, joint attention skills develop. An infant will look in the same direction as the caregiver and follow his gaze. Eventually, they will look back at the caregiver to show that they share the experience.

Between 12 to 18 months, the infant learns to explore his environment with support from a caregiver. By 12 months of age, proto-imperative pointing emerges, in other words, the infant requests by pointing at the object of interest and integrates it with eye contact between the object and the caregiver. Proto-declarative pointing follows at 16 months of age when the child points with eye gaze coordination to show interest. Around 18 months of age, the child brings the object to show or give it to the caregiver.

Around 12 months of age, the child takes part in interactive play like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake. They use gestures to wave bye-bye and communicate his interests and needs. At around 15 months of age empathy and self-conscious emotions emerge. A child will react by looking upset when he sees someone cry or feel pride when applauded for doing a task. The child imitates his environment, helps with simple household tasks, and explores the environment more independently.

Between 18 and 30 months, individuation (autonomy) emerges. The confidence in the child-parent relationship and continued firm parenting helps the child face environmental challenges on his own more persistently and enthusiastically. The child's temperament manifests itself more, and they are aggressive and reserved or friendly and cooperating. Around 18 to 24 months they learn to pretend-play such as talking on a toy phone or feeding a doll and playing next to or in parallel with another child. He may imitate other child's play and look at him but he cannot play in a cooperative, imaginative way with another child yet. During preschool years he learns to manipulate his subjective emotions into a more socially accepted gesture. He uses a "poker face", and exaggerates or minimizes emotions for social etiquette. For example, he will say thank you for a present he didn't like. The child refers to himself as "I" or "me" and possessiveness "mine" and negativism "no" emerge.

Between 30 and 54 months, impulse control, gender roles, and peer relationship issues emerge. A caregiver plays a major role in helping preschoolers define values and learn flexible self-control. Testing limits on what behaviors are acceptable and how much autonomy they can exert is an expected phenomenon. Thoughtful parenting with a balance between setting limits and giving choices will successfully establish a child's sense of initiative and decrease anxiety from guilt or loss of control. At 30 months pretend play skills emerge and the child shows evidence of symbolic play, using an object as something different like pretending a block to be a telephone or a bottle to feed a doll. The play scenarios become more complex with themes and storylines. By 3 years of age, the child engages more in interactive play, masters his aggression and learns cooperation and sharing skills. They can play with 1 or 2 peers, with turn-taking play and joint goals. Imaginative and fantasy play begin like pretending to be a cat and role-play skills develop. The child, however, cannot yet distinguish between reality and imagination and it is common to be afraid of imaginary things. They master this skill to differentiate between real and imaginary around 4 years of age. They enjoy playing tricks on others and are worried about being tricked themselves. Imaginary scenarios and play skills are developing and becoming more complex. They can play with 3 to 4 peers, with more complex themes and pretend skills.

At 5 and 6 years of age, the child can follow simple rules and directions. They learn adult social skills like giving praise and apologizing for unintentional mistakes. They like to spend more time in peer groups and relate to a group of friends. Imaginative play gets more complex, and he likes to play dress, and act out his fantasies.

At 7 and 8 years of age, the child fully understands rules and regulations. They show a deeper understanding of relationships and responsibilities and can take charge of simple chores. Moral development furthers, and he learns more complex coping skills. At this age, a child explores new ideas and activities and peers may test his beliefs. Children identify more with other children of similar gender and find a best friend in common.

At 9 and 10 years of age, peer and friend groups take precedence over family. Children at this age will show increasing independent decision-making and a growing need for independence from family. Parents can use responsibilities and chores to earn time with friends. A positive nurturing relationship with a caregiver with praise and affection and setting up a reasonable balance between independence and house rules builds self-confidence and self-assurance. Promoting supportive adult relationships and increasing opportunities to take part in positive community activities increases resilience.

Greater independence and commitment to peer groups drive the transition to adolescence. This will include indulging in risky behavior to explore uncertain emotions and impress peer groups. Social interactions include complex relationships, disagreements, breakups, new friendships, and long-lasting relations. Normally the adolescent will learn to cope with these stresses with healthy adult relationships and guidance to make independent decisions. As young adulthood approaches, school success and work-related activities become important. For a healthy transition to adulthood positive and supportive adult guidance and opportunities to take part constructively in the community play a pivotal role.

Issues of Concern

The inability to reach age-appropriate milestones can be a manifestation of psychosocial disturbance and needs further exploration. Examples of early childhood social-emotional disturbance include autism, reactive attachment disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, attention-deficit hyperactive disorder, bullying, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, among others.

Clinical Significance

A failure to follow the expected trajectory of social-emotional development can lead to undetected mental and emotional health problems. Adverse childhood experiences can alter development significantly. Thus, alongside screening for child development, actively screening for family dysfunction and supporting families in establishing a healthy nurturing environment is vital. By having a thorough knowledge of developmental pathways and adverse childhood experiences, and having a close follow-up established with families in the medical home, pediatricians and medical professionals are in a prime position to identify risk factors and developmental delays timely.

Medical professionals taking care of children should begin with identifying and addressing the family's concerns, asking open-ended questions regarding social-emotional milestones, and intentionally observing parent-child interaction and child's interaction with the environment including themselves. While examining the patient, they should observe age-appropriate developmental interaction. They should give teenagers the opportunity to engage in health visits in a private and safe environment without a caregiver. Also, should be able to address questions about parenting advice. These include advice on temper tantrums and defiant behaviors, child care and preschool guidance, referring to parent training management when appropriate, and counseling on temperament differences and "goodness of fit" models.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Bright Futures Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents emphasize active screening for developmental delays and environmental risk factors on top of clinical surveillance. This includes the use of standardized screening tools for social-emotional development and for environmental risks appropriate to the risk level of the population you serve. Environmental risk factors should include caregiver/family functioning, caregiver mental health, socio-economic stress, refugee/immigrant status, safety concerns, caregiver drug addiction, etc. AAP recommends screening for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at both the 18- and 24-month health supervision visits, and whenever concerns are raised. When using screening tests, one should be cognizant of some potential limitations including the inability to administer and score the screening tool correctly, using it as a diagnostic tool, failure to incorporate other available clinical data, and using a linguistic or culturally inappropriate tool.[5]

If screening identifies any risk factor or delays, it should always follow with further assessment and evidence-based interventions. Screening for maternal depression especially during the first year of childbirth is important. Identifying and intervening for maternal depression early on can avoid attachment and social-emotional problems in the child later. With clear delays in social and language development, it is important to initiate services even before a confirmed diagnosis as early intervention is the key. If the child is younger than 3 years should be referred to local Early Intervention EI services. A child 3 years of age or older should be referred to their school district. Anticipatory guidelines should include evidence-based strategies for age-appropriate behavioral interventions such as the management of temper tantrums for toddlers. Implementing the use of developmental screening tools in clinical practice has shown an encouraging trend though still, a wide gap in practice remains.[6] Practices that have successfully established screening are struggling with coordinating referrals and monitoring progress.[7] We need further research to identify barriers to the use of standardized tools and the coordination of services and interventions.

Standardized Screening Instruments

Caregiver Functioning

1. Adverse Childhood Experience Score

2. Parenting Stress Index-Short Form

3. Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale

4. Patient Health Questionnaire-2

5. Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screening

6. Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale

Temperament

Carey Temperament Scales

Infancy to Early Childhood

1. Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social-Emotional

2. Survey of Well Being of Young Children

3. Communication and Symbolic-Behavior Scale

4. Developmental Profile, Infant Toddler Checklist

5. Brief Infant-Social Emotional Assessment

Early Childhood to Adolescence

Multidimensional

1. Infant-Toddler Social Emotional Assessment

2. NCAST Parent-Child Interaction Feeding and Teaching Scale

3. Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment

4. Behavior Assessment Scale for Children Second Edition

5. Connors Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scales

6. Child Symptom Inventories-4

7. Vanderbilt Parent and Teacher Assessment Scales

Single Dimension Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Single Dimension Anxiety/Depression

Beck Youth Inventories

(Adapted from Duby JC, Social and Emotional Development. In: Voigt RG, Macias MM, Myers SM, eds. Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2011:241-248)

Enhancing Healthcare Team Outcomes

Optimal child growth and development need orchestrating enhanced communication between the pediatrician/primary care provider and various medical specialties including but not limited to the mother's obstetrician, nursery/NICU teams, nursing staff, psychology, psychiatry, child life, and social work. Twenty percent to 25% of children seen in primary care clinics experience social-emotional problems that are clinically significant. Access to mental health services and parenting classes and education is limited due to stigmatization, cost, and availability. In 2004, the American Academy of Pediatrics organized a Task Force on Mental Health to enhance identification and intervention for social-emotional problems in primary care pediatric practice. One of the key findings in its report was having integrated models of care with collaboration with psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, and others in the community to formulate a comprehensive care plan. With help from other professionals, primary care practice should be able to put together a list of clinical and family concerns, coach the family on self-management techniques, and create a resource list including professionals involved in care, community partners available to the family and child, and treatment goals and strategies.[8] Building a comprehensive system of care with a focus on prevention and early intervention can address the unmet needs of social-emotional development and behavioral problems in children. To achieve such a system, it is imperative to establish training models with an integrated system of care. Such a model will encourage and train professionals to collaborate mutually to prevent, identify, consult, educate and plan treatment for patients.[9]

References

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Developmental Stages of Social Emotional Development In Children

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To understand human growth and development, healthcare professionals need to understand and learn about 2 areas: (1) knowledge of milestone competencies, for example, growth in the motor, cognitive, speech-language, and social-emotional domains, and (2) the eco-biological model of development, specifically, the interaction of environment and biology and their influence on development.[1][2] This article reviews the developmental stages of social-emotional development and also discusses the role of the interprofessional team in identifying the cause of social-emotional problems and therefore, intervening effectively.

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Each age group learns different social and emotional development and what it means.

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Social And Emotional Development In Children

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There are many factors that affect emotional and social development during childhood and right up to adulthood. Read on to know what these are and how you can help in the overall growth of your child.

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Reading social cues is very important to know what your child is telling you.

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Association for Science in Autism Treatment

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Simple evidence-based strategies for teaching emotion regulation?

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In this piece, we provide a brief background on emotion regulation, and then offer seven evidence-based strategies for improving emotion regulation in students with autism.

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Here, I've included five simple strategies that you can use to get started managing your emotions in the classroom.

1. Identify your stress responses:

Mindfulness begins by monitoring our own body's signals. Before we have an emotional response, our autonomic nervous system begins sending physical sensations that show our body is preparing us to fight, fly or shut down.

Maybe you feel hot, sweaty, dizzy or lightheaded. Maybe your heart begins to race, or you feel a lump in your throat. While these sensations manifest differently from person to person, we all feel something when triggered by stress or trauma. Next time you find yourself in a stressful situation, monitor what is physically happening to you.

This is the first step to regulating your emotional response.

2. Use a sensory regulatory practice:

While our reactions to stress can be physical, so can our responses to regain calm. We can actually use movement and sensory practices to help calm our nervous system.

For example, taking a few deep breaths is one common strategy.

You can also try chewing gum or eating a crunchy snack, giving yourself a hand massage, fidgeting with a small toy or jewelry, smelling something pleasant, or texting someone you trust.

No matter what action you choose, deliberately making that choice gives you a moment to pause, collect your thoughts and respond to stress in a less reactive way.

3. Reframe your thoughts:

Another way to regulate our emotions is by reframing our thoughts. Our immediate reactions are often colored by our own biases, filling our bodies with anxiety, whether or not it's an appropriate response. In many cases, trauma or stress causes us to respond irrationally.

As you begin to regulate, take a moment to tap into your cortex. Think objectively about what is occurring, and what choices you can make to help de-escalate the situation for everyone. The graphic below shows some examples of what may occur in our adult thoughts versus what is actually happening.

4. Use Focused-Attention Practices:

Like sensory regulation practices, focused-attention practices can help us when we're dysregulated. They can also be used to energize us, helping us focus and pay attention in the present moment.

Use focused-attention practices at the beginning of your day, throughout the day, and anytime you need closure and a reset. They're also great to share with students. This resource I've developed offers 100 different focused attention practices to help promote mindfulness in your classroom.

5. Continue to Practice Awareness-Every Day:

As I mentioned earlier, mindfulness is a skill that we develop over time. It's important to implement these practices even when we're not feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Doing so puts us in a better position to regulate our emotions in critical moments.

Creating a positive classroom environment is something you can work toward, every day. Use these 6 Daily Mantras for a Positive Classroom to set your intentions and continually remind yourself that you are more in control than you might think.

I also recommend reading the Top 10 De-escalation Tips for Educators to learn everyday practices that can help contribute to a calmer learning environment.

Of course, CPI offers many training programs that focus on the Care, Welfare, Safety, and Security SM of all students and staff. Their evidence-based, trauma-informed behavior management and crisis prevention approaches are useful strategies that schools can use to create consistency and a stronger culture of trauma awareness.

As educators, it's our responsibility to create a stable and supportive learning environment. While our students' trauma and emotional responses may be out of our control, using our cortex-the rational part of our brains-to be more mindful of our own responses can break the trauma cycle. Modeling such practices can keep students regulated and receptive to the information we have to share, setting them up for a more successful future.
Dr. Lori Desautels is an assistant professor in the College of Education at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. Lori was also an assistant professor at Marian University in Indianapolis, where she founded the Educational Neuroscience Symposium, now sponsored by Butler University. Lori creates webinars for educators, clinicians, and administrators illustrating how educators and students alike must understand their neuroanatomy to regulate behavior and calm the brain. You can learn more about her work at Revelations In Education.

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Regulating our Emotions in the Classroom: Practical Tips for Educators | Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI)

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Industry expert Dr. Lori Desautels shares practical tips to help educators regain control over their own emotions to better serve the needs of the children in their classroom.

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Administration & Leadership

Schools can play an integral role in the development of the self-regulation skills that will help students thrive in any situation.

As a school principal, I've navigated my share of student disputes-from "she stole my applesauce" to football recess referee to mediating more serious and violent gang disputes as a high school administrator.

When students have outbursts or retreat inward, they may have issues with other students, something happening at home, or even an internal conflict they're trying to process. Supporting students when they're in crisis, or especially rebellious, is difficult. It requires patience and understanding. It's not about the discipline that we impose, but rather the self-discipline we all-adults and students-model and learn how to harness from within.

Teaching Self-Regulation is an Urgent Need

Research indicates that there is a mental health crisis among teens today. Forty-two percent of high school students indicate suffering from overwhelming stress and anxiety-a 50 percent increase from 2011. These strong emotions can be disastrous if students don't learn how to adapt and cope.

Interpersonal and intrapersonal conflicts can be hard to manage, yet they present teachable moments for us to help students apply strategies for resolving their issues in real time. Our students are also watching our every move, including the models we provide when we're elated, frustrated, or simply riding the wild of human emotions. In fact, disciplinare (the forbear of discipline) means "to teach" in Latin. We must remember that schools not only are institutions of academic learning but also are training grounds for lifelong personal success.

It's About Strategy, Not Perfection

While I've learned that helping students regain their composure requires being a regulated adult in the moment of crisis or conflict, the reality is that everyone has off days and moments of frustration. You don't have to be perfect. We're all human, and we wrestle with real emotions.

Here are some ideas to help students regulate their emotions and keep calm.

1. Build strong relationships with students. This is essential because it increases students' feelings of trust and sense of belonging. In fact, research indicates that positive relationships can have a remedying effect on youth trauma. Strong attachments with adults at school-including teachers, staff, coaches, and administrators-provide young people with a sense of safety, security, and stability.

You can deepen connections with students through time spent during extracurricular activities. Align school initiatives with students' diverse interests in music, sports, visual arts, language, coding, and more.

At our school, we pair students with an adult as a mentor, which facilitates closer bonds. As a result, students respond favorably to us because they know we truly care about them. These strong and reliable connections can be particularly important when students experience insecurity at home.

2. Teach coping and self-management skills before they're needed. In the heat of the moment, it's hard to think clearly, and the fight-or-flight response may kick in. That's why we've established a peace corner in every classroom. These spaces provide our students with the prompt to self-direct and reflect-taking a break when they feel they need it. It's so encouraging to hear a 4-year-old empowered enough to say, "I need to take a break."

We also leverage positive psychology strategies through encouraging, specific feedback, and even social stories, which allow students to envision themselves making good decisions. We start each day with affirmations about our identity as leaders, and student groups sing our school values during morning announcements. We believe it's important for students to develop a deep belief in themselves to know they can face the challenges that come their way.

3. Expect conflict. Diversity of thought can sometimes result in tension. Students will experience frustration, anger, or sadness. These strong emotions offer the adults who support students with the opportunity to affirm students' identities and coach them through the wild ride of feelings. In addition, we often know and can anticipate the hot spots of the day for when students may need more support. For example, playing soft instrumental music right after recess may help students settle down and limit peer-to-peer conflict.

Educators can also identify peer mediators in advance to help students work together to solve certain problems. These leadership roles can be formal or informal or even school-level jobs through student council, or playground monitors. Students can help mediate by giving advice and sharing perspectives to their peers through role-plays.

4. Listen to what's said and unsaid. When supporting students at the height of their emotions, we must acknowledge their behaviors. Are they fidgeting? Crying? Fuming? What clues and hints can you uncover about the root of the issue? Do they need someone to hear them out or maybe just a safe, quiet space to think? Would a peer mediator be helpful?

This can be challenging if a student has an outburst during the middle of instruction, which could derail the entire class. When this happens, it may be time to ask students probing questions about what's bothering them. Yet, sometimes all they may want is the presence of a caring adult and a nonjudgmental ear. It really all depends.

5. All behavior is a form of communication. Determining appropriate support may sometimes necessitate involvement from a school counselor or mental health professional. Other times, our students may simply need to tap into their own strength through guidance from a teacher or administrator. Being a regulated adult in these situations helps to ascertain the next steps to take to assist the student.

6. Tap in a colleague. It's OK to not be ok. A variety of factors can cause you to not have the energy to offer nuanced support at the specific moment a student is in need. This is a tremendous responsibility.

We can break or build our students in these moments, and we take this seriously at our school. Our teachers have buddy classrooms. They rely on each other to both proactively curtail behavior issues and also help de-escalate students when necessary. We know how to ask for support when dealing with a student who is in crisis by telling a colleague that we need a break. Education is a collaborative effort, and the psychological, intellectual, and physical demands of the work are to be shared.

It doesn't make you less of a professional or caring educator to tap out. It actually demonstrates your own level of self-awareness and understanding, which ultimately helps us all serve students at optimal and healthy levels.

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Guiding Students to Manage Their Emotions

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Schools can play an integral role in the development of the self-regulation skills that will help students thrive in any situation.

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Attachment Disorders | Causes, Types, Symptoms and Treatment

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Attachment disorders arise when crucial emotional bonds are disrupted, affecting emotional development and the capacity to connect with others.

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Behavior Management Training for the Treatment of Reactive Attachment Disorder

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Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) is a childhood disorder characterized by extremely inappropriate social relating across a variety of interactions that must be present by age 5. Although children diagnosed with RAD appear to demonstrate…

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Reactive attachment disorder - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic

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Reactive attachment disorder is when an infant or young child doesn’t establish healthy attachments with parents or caregivers due to neglect.

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News - The Latest at the College of Education - Michigan State University

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Families’ voices: The trauma of preschool suspension and expulsion - News

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Hundreds of U.S. preschoolers are suspended/expelled daily. How do caregivers experience these events ? MSU researchers summarize their feelings in 3 words.

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Reducing Suspension and Expulsion Practices in Early Childhood Settings

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Data indicated that expulsions and suspensions regularly occur in preschool settings. This is a problematic issue given the well-established research indicating that these practices can influence a number of adverse outcomes across development, health, and education.

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Preventing Preschool Expulsions: AAP Policy Explained

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In the policy statement, “Addressing Early Education and Child Care Expulsion,” the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends steps to help decrease preschool suspensions and expulsions. Learn more here.

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The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

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Early childhood trauma generally refers to the traumatic experiences that occur to children aged 0-6.

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Children are among the most vulnerable after traumatic events or disasters. Traumatic stress occurs when a child (0-18 years) feels intensely threatened by an event they experience or witness. Young people often need time and emotional support to feel secure again after experiencing trauma or a disaster. Their reactions are influenced by how parents, relatives, teachers, and caregivers respond. These individuals provide comfort and stability, and play a vital role by maintaining normal routines or establishing new ones after a crisis. With proper caregiving and access to trauma-informed services, many children recover and thrive.

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There are many important ways parents and caregivers can help children who have had traumatic experiences. Some of the most important ones are helping them to feel safe, learn healthy routines, identify and manage their emotions and behavior, and build resilience.

To help your child cope after troubling events, it helps to remember the 3 Rs: reassure, return to routine, and regulate.

Remind your child that they are safe and loved.

Use words and touch (high fives, for example, or hugs if appropriate), and extra one-on-one time.

Reflect with the child and let them know that it's OK to feel what they're feeling. Try to see the world through their eyes.

Create safe spaces in the home. Let them make a tent in their bedroom or designate a "safe chair" just for them.

2. Return to routine

Try to maintain regular daily routines. These can promote a sense of safety and normalcy for your child and let them know what to expect.

Keep dependable routines for meals, bedtime, and time for homework or chores. Depending on age, creating visual schedules and prompts can help. Try to build in time for relaxing activities, such as family walks.

Explain any changes in the schedule ahead of time. Consider having special routines before and after schedule changes, such as reading the same story, playing the same game, or eating the same meal.

Help your child learn " self-regulation" skills to calm themselves and manage their emotions and behaviors.

Consider relaxation techniques such as belly breathing, stretching, and yoga poses, and tensing and releasing muscles.

In times of calm, play feeling charades -acting out being hungry, proud, or disappointed, for example.

Talk about where in the body your child feels the emotion, such as the chest, stomach or head. Name different feelings with different colors.

Practice skills to use when they get upset or angry, such as deep breathing, seeking an adult, or taking a break for active play or exercise.

Helping your child heal from trauma

It may take your child time to learn to identify and manage feelings after a scary or upsetting event.

When your child is having a hard time or strong reactions, try to talk with them at eye level. Stay calm and speak in a relaxed tone. Stay close until your child is calmer and able to connect. Remember not to take their actions personally.

Talk with your child's pediatrician for more parenting tips on helping your child cope after trauma.

More information

American Academy of Pediatrics and Pediatric Approach to Trauma, Treatment and Resilience (Copyright © 2021)

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parenting after trauma; resilience; positive parenting; self-regulation; childhood trauma; trauma informed parenting; aces; adverse childhood experiences; healthy routines; parenting a traumatized child; parenting kids with trauma; toxic stress

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Childhood Trauma: 3 Ways to Help Kids Cope

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To help your child cope after troubling events, it helps to remember the 3 Rs: reassuring, returning to routine, and regulation.

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Overview of adverse childhood experiences, the latest data, and CDC’s approach to prevention.

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Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) & Childhood Trauma

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Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that happen between the ages of 1 and 17. ACEs affect a person’s overall health.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) & Childhood Trauma

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that happen between the ages of 1 and 17. ACEs affect a person’s overall health.

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View information on resources regarding mental health and chemical dependency.

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Rice County Social Services – Mental Health Services

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At the Healthy Community Initiative (HCI), we’re dedicated to building partnerships and encouraging community collaborations that support, value and empower youth.

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Faribault Medical Center offers comprehensive mental health and addiction programs and services. Our care providers are trained and equipped to help you or a loved one on the journey to emotional health and well-being

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Frontiers | Parental Reflective Functioning and Its Association With Parenting Behaviors in Infancy and Early Childhood: A Systematic Review

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BackgroundParental reflective functioning (PRF) refers to parents’ mental capacity to understand their own and their children’s behaviors in terms of envisio…

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The Importance of Reflective Functioning: m.o.r.e. l.o.v.e. – Playtime Therapy of Georgia

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When was the last time you found yourself reflecting, genuinely enamored with, curious by, or totally engrossed in what your child is experiencing and how they are experiencing it? Reflective functioning is the ability with which a parent can understand, empathize, and experience their child’s inner world. For some parents, this comes easily when their child is discovering a new toy or sensation. For other parents, this skill is hard to tap into when their child is having a difficult moment and is dysregulated. In both joyous and difficult moments, it is important to be in touch with our own reflective functioning while parenting our child. In fact, research supports the idea of reflective functioning and parental alignment in regards to strengthening a child’s emotional resilience, the parent-child relationship, and building a child’s ability to engage in emotional regulation (Camoirano, 2017). Furthermore, a parent’s reflective functioning also impacts their attachment relationship with their child (Slade et al., 2005).

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doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.765312.

Affiliation

¹ Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

Lydia Yao Stuhrmann et al. Front Psychol.

doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.765312.

Affiliation

¹ Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

Abstract

Background: Parental reflective functioning (PRF) refers to parents' mental capacity to understand their own and their children's behaviors in terms of envisioned mental states. As part of a broader concept of parental mentalization, PRF has been identified as one of the central predictors for sensitive parenting. However, the unique contribution of PRF to the quality of various parenting behaviors has not yet been addressed systematically. Thus, the present article provides a systematic overview of current research on the associations between PRF or its sub-dimensions and observed parenting behaviors in infancy and early childhood, while considering the influence of contextual factors.

Methods: The review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Systematic searches were carried out in five electronic databases. The eligibility and methodological quality of the identified studies were assessed using pre-defined criteria and a standardized checklist.

Results: Sixteen studies with moderate to high quality on a total of 15 parenting behaviors were included, the majority of which examined positive parenting behaviors, while negative parenting behaviors were rarely investigated. Most of the associations indicated a positive effect of PRF on parenting behavior, with mostly small-sized effects. The strength and direction of the associations varied depending on the dimensionality of PRF, observation settings, sample types, socioeconomic factors, and cultural background. Moreover, five assessment instruments for PRF and 10 observation instruments for parenting behaviors were identified.

Conclusion: In summary, PRF has shown a positive association with parenting quality. However, its complex interaction with further contextual factors emphasizes the need for differentiation of PRF dimensions and the consideration of the observation settings, assessment time points, psychosocial risks, and sample types in observational as well as intervention studies. Further high-quality studies with multivariate analyses and diverse study settings are required.

Keywords: early childhood; infancy; parental mentalization; parental reflective functioning; parenting; parent-child interaction; systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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national center for biotechnology information

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Parental Reflective Functioning and Its Association With Parenting Behaviors in Infancy and Early Childhood: A Systematic Review - PubMed

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In summary, PRF has shown a positive association with parenting quality. However, its complex interaction with further contextual factors emphasizes the need for differentiation of PRF dimensions and the consideration of the observation settings, assessment time points, psychosocial risks, and sampl ...