1. Social-emotional development of the preschooler
Unit 5

2. Taking the Initiative Becoming more independent Improved abilities
Limitless energy
Strong desire to learn and explore

3. Erikson – Initiative vs. Guilt
Initiative = The ability to think or act without being urged.
Developing initiative is important because it sets the stage for ambitions later in life.
Yet, initiative can lead to failures. Too many failures can lead to guilt.
Guilt = Blaming yourself for something done wrong.
SO… caregivers need to make sure children know that it is OK to make mistakes!
All of this is according to Erik Erikson. Do you agree? Disagree? Why? What are your thoughts?
Can you think of a time when you took the initiative as a child to try something new? Did you succeed? Did you fail?
Think about a time when you did fail at something… did you feel this “guilt” that Erkison is talking about? How did your parents/caregivers/siblings help you overcome it?

4. Showing Responsibility
First step toward dependence
Adults should show examples
Select age-appropriate tasks
What are some chores that would be appropriate for a preschooler?

5. Learning Gender Roles
Preschoolers are beginning to grasp the concept of how to fit into certain social groups
Family, school, clubs, and others
Gender-role learning = learning what behavior is expected of males and females
Gender role is a major concept children learn in the preschool years.

6. How does gender role develop?
By how others treat them and how they see others in their male or female roles
Sex-typing = treating boys and girls differently
Clothing
Toys
The way parents react
Children most often identify and imitate models of the same gender as well as:
Teachers
Characters from TV, movies, and storybooks
Does sex-typing exist throughout all of childhood and adolescence?

7. Cultural Differences
Society’s view of male and female is not as clearly defined as it once was!
Traditional views:
Male – more aggressive, economic head of the family
Female – wife, mother
How many of your mom’s stay-at-home?
Society’s view has CHANGED!

8. Sexual stereotyping = a statement or even a hint that men and women always do or should do certain tasks.

9. Extending Social Relations
Social learnings:
Sharing
Controlling anger
Thinking of other’s feelings
Making joint efforts with others

10. Adults are still important
Still depend on adults for many of their needs
Adults are social models
Teach by example
Model relationships
Morals
Self-control
Manners
And much more!!

11. Other children become more important
Siblings and peers are more important to preschool children than toddlers
Preschoolers do react to other children differently. Some preschoolers have fun playing with other children and some do not

12. Making Friends Depends on the following:
child’s friendliness
Ability to follow group rules
Lack of dependence on adults
Prefer friends of the same gender
Self-centered view about friendships
They see friends as people who play with you, help you, share their toys with you, etc.
Creates a closed circle of friends
“You can’t play with us!”

13. Learning from Play Groups
Play experiences are richer with others
Learn new ideas
Behave with peers
Learn to play fairly
Become less self-centered
Learn that friends are fun! 

14. Feeling and Controlling Emotions
Preschoolers still react to common childlike stressors (situations that cause stress)
These may include:
Illness
Moving
Death
Adult quarrels
Divorce

15. Feeling and Controlling Emotions
Controlling outward signs of emotions such crying, screaming and hitting to help children become socially acceptable!
However, if children control emotions without admitting their underlying feelings to themselves and others, they may become emotionally troubled.
Children need to express themselves!
“I am angry.”
“I am afraid.”

16. Dependency
Preschoolers feel a conflict between their need for dependence and independence!
Sometimes preschoolers ask for help and they really do need it and other times they ask for help even when they don’t! 
Emotional Dependence: The act of seeing attention, approval, comfort and contact.
Do you think that some teenagers feel a conflict between their need for dependence and independence, too? It may not exist for you… but if it does… how is it different from a preschooler?
And sometimes…. Preschoolers don’t ask for help and the need it! 

17. Fear and Anxiety
Some toddler fears fade away and preschoolers develop new fears, some increase.
Fear of the unknown
Monsters, Robbers
Fear of physical injury
Fear of death by fire, auto accident, drowning, the fear of bites from insects or animals
Fear of pain caused by medical and dental work
Anxiety of a general nature
Fear of a tornado may spread to thunderstorms and high winds
I LOVED going to the dentist as a kid! I think I’m one in a million who do… but I always loved going. How many of you feared going to the dentist?

18. Anger and Aggression
Anger and Aggression being around 10 months of age. They peak with displays of temper in the toddler years and continue in the preschool years.
Preschoolers tend to hit and bite less than toddlers.
Yet they tend to threaten and yell more!
Boys are more physical and girls are more verbal even in the preschool stage!

19. Causes of Anger and Aggression
Preschoolers use aggression to
Get their way
Hurt another
Gain attention
Gain affection

20. Jealousy
Begins when people realize they must share with others the love, attention, possessions, and time once only given to them.
Most common time for jealousy is a new baby brother or sister
Repressed jealousy = Feelings of jealousy not directly expressed and may even be denied.
Show this type through nightmares, physical problems (headaches, upset stomachs, fevers, change in appetite)