The Importance of Promoting Positive Self-Talk for Children

What is emotional learning, emotional knowledge or social-emotional learning? What does it mean in the early childhood education practice and how does it relate to the life of the parent?

It’s easy to see and understand the physical development of children over time, but often times it can be difficult to see or understand the emotional development of our children.

When we think of emotional learning or emotional regulation, we often think of the extremes; our 2-year old having a melt-down in the shopping centre and how we deal with that moment (and teach our child not to do that), but it’s so much bigger and more important than that.

Emotional learning and positive emotional health is about the ability to promote positive self-talk so we can overcome things, as well as learning to manage emotions in a healthy and socially appropriate way. It’s about learning resilience; bad things will happen but we will get through it.

It’s important for children to practise their emotions over the little things now, like not getting the cup they wanted, so they can handle the big emotions later in life. Likewise, once children understand their own emotions, they’re better able to recognise emotions in others and empathise.

90% of the brain is developed by the time children are 4. Emotional regulation is vitally important as it continues to affect us throughout our entire lives. Promoting positive self-talk in children in the early years can shape their long-term emotional health.

 

Thank You
We’d love to hear from you! If you have any feedback, suggestions or questions about anything we discussed in this episode, please feel free to reach out – zoe@adeona.com.au.

 

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