Parents support healthy social and emotional development in children when they model how to express and communicate emotions effectively, self-regulate, and make friends. A child's social and emotional competence is crucial to sound relationships with family, adults, and peers. Conversely, delayed social-emotional development may obstruct healthy relationships. Early identification of such delays and early assistance for children and parents can provide support for family relationships and sustain positive and appropriate development. This section includes State and local examples.
Conversation Guide to an Informal Conversation About the Way Parents and Caregivers Help Build the Social and Emotional Competence of Children
National Alliance of Children's Trust and Prevention Funds, Alliance National Parent Partnership Council (2019)
Offers tools and tips for parents and caregivers who want to have a conversation around building the social and emotional competence of children. The resource includes information on getting ready for the conversation, a time plan for the conversation, a scripted discussion guide, key points and reminders, and thoughts on how to process the conversation.
Helping Kids Express Their Emotions
PBS Kids for Parents
Provides steps to help guide children in learning how to express their emotions in a healthy way in hopes of becoming a more well-balanced individual.
Promoting Children's Social Skills and Emotional Competence
Virtual Lab School
Provides developmentally appropriate information about identifying different aspects of social and emotional competence and facilitating development in those areas.
Promoting Young Children's Social and Emotional Health
Ho & Funk (2018)
Young Children, 73(1)
Explores why social and emotional health is important for children in preschool and how social and emotional competence leads to healthier relationships.
Self-Regulation and Toxic Stress Series
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation
Details a series of interrelated reports from the Center for Child and Social Policy at Duke University, which provide a framework for understanding self-regulation, reviews research of the relationship between stress and self-regulation, discusses evidence based interventions, and reviews the implications.
Social and Emotional Competence in Early Childhood (PDF - 231 KB)
Zinsser (2016)
University of Illinois at Chicago, Social Emotional Teaching and Learning Lab
Describes social and emotional learning, the process by which children learn cognitive and behavioral competencies that allow them to develop and maintain healthy relationships.
Strengthening Families: Social and Emotional Competence of Children
YMCA (2020)
Details three specific prompts that parents and child welfare professionals can use to develop social and emotional competencies in children through conversation.
Social-Emotional Competence of Children: Protective and Promotive Factors (PDF - 202 KB)
Center for the Study of Social Policy (2018)
Discusses the link between children's level of social and emotional competence and their language skills, mental health, and school success.
State and local examples
Social and Emotional Competence of Children
New Hampshire Children’s Trust
Lists tips for parents and professionals on how to assist children manage their emotions and improve their social and emotional competence through strategies such as asking questions and modeling appropriate behaviors.
Social and Emotional Competence of Children
Pennsylvania Strengthening Families (2019)
Provides examples of parent statements indicating the presence of the social and emotional competence as a protective factor in their children’s lives.