It is integral to build emotional resilience for early childhood development, shaping how children respond to challenges, build relationships and regulate their emotions. For young children, developing emotional resilience lays the foundation for coping with difficulties and adapting to new experiences. It also supports their ability to thrive socially and academically during these formative years.
Here at Essential Resources, we understand the value of professional development in this subject area. We have gathered feedback from educators who completed our Building Social and Emotional Skills and Wellbeing online course. Drawing on participants’ insights, this blog shares practical strategies for creating environments that nurture children’s emotional wellbeing.
What is emotional resilience and why is it important in early childhood?
Emotional resilience is the ability to cope with and adapt to challenging situations, stress, and emotional setbacks. In young children, this resilience relates to their ability to manage frustration, express their emotions appropriately and cope with disappointment. Building emotional resilience early in life lays the foundation for a child’s mental health and overall wellbeing as they grow.
Early years educators play a vital role in helping children to regulate their emotions, form positive relationships and navigate challenges. As children build emotional resilience, they learn how to bounce back from setbacks and engage socially and academically.
Emotional challenges children face in early childhood settings
Children in early childhood settings often face emotional challenges as they interact with others and navigate their own feelings. Some of the common challenges include issues with self-regulation, difficulty expressing emotions and behavioural conflicts with peers.
Self-regulation is a critical area where many young children struggle. At this stage, children may have trouble managing their emotions and behaviour, especially when they feel upset, frustrated, or overwhelmed. Without strong self-regulation skills, children may resort to tantrums or impulsive behaviour when faced with challenges.
Another common emotional challenge is the difficulty many children experience when trying to express their feelings. Children are still developing the language to describe their experiences, which can lead to frustration, confusion and miscommunication. This can create emotional turmoil for both the child and those around them.
Lastly, behavioural conflicts are common in ECE settings. As children interact with their peers, they may face challenges in sharing, taking turns, or resolving disagreements. These conflicts can create emotional stress for children and hinder their ability to engage fully in learning experiences.
Practical strategies to build emotional resilience in early childhood
At Essential Resources, we offer three early childhood professional development courses. Based on educator feedback on the Building Social and Emotional Skills and Wellbeing course, here are practical strategies to implement that assist children with developing emotional literacy skills.
An effective strategy for building emotional resilience is incorporating mindfulness practices into the daily routine of your early years setting. Having completed the course, one educator shared, “I will introduce short mindfulness exercises into our daily routine.” This may include breathing exercises or guided meditation, techniques the teacher will share with children’s families to use at home.
Mindfulness activities such as guided breathing and simple reflection activities help children become more aware of their feelings and bodies. These practices allow children to self soothe when they start to feel overwhelmed. By teaching children these techniques early, educators can help them to build emotional resilience.
Another key strategy for building emotional resilience is to focus on emotional literacy. Children who can identify and name their emotions are better equipped to express themselves and manage their feelings. Educators can encourage emotional literacy through storytelling, role-playing, and the use of emotional charts. We heard from one educator who completed the Building Social and Emotional Skills and Wellbeing course. They explained how they created a photo album of facial expressions for their children to explore. They reported, “the children enjoyed guessing which expression their friends’ faces were portraying in each photo.”
In addition to emotional literacy, it is essential to promote peer collaboration in early childhood settings. Encouraging children to work together, share ideas, and resolve conflicts with their peers fosters empathy and social problem-solving skills. Having completed our online professional development course, an educator shared that they learned the importance of involving families in these discussions. They described how workshops on understanding emotions or conflict resolution provide opportunities for families to learn alongside their children.
Regular communication between educators and families allows for a unified approach to supporting the child’s emotional development. Sharing observations, strategies, and progress updates ensures that both parties are on the same page regarding the child’s emotional growth. Educators can inform families about their child’s behaviour in the classroom, while parents can share what’s happening at home.
Changing approaches to social-emotional learning in ECE
Many educators informed us that completing our professional development course inspired them to reframe their view of children’s behaviour. One participant explained that they had reset their expectations for children in their care. They observed that the phrase, “we are all friends here” imposes unreasonable expectations on young children. Instead, this educator shared that they would allow children to choose who they spend time within the setting. They argued that instead, we should encourage children to respect each other in class and behave in a positive way.
Another educator reflected, “trying to change the child’s emotions too quickly may rob them of a powerful learning experience.” Instead, the educator added they will provide a disruptive child with a quiet space to calm down and process emotions.
Additionally, an educator responded that the course encouraged them to “look at children’s behaviour positively. I was feeling fatigued, but after this course, I feel I can return with a fresh mind.”
Conclusions on how to build emotional resilience
Building emotional resilience in early childhood is essential for the development of well-rounded, empathetic, and confident individuals. Educators can play a vital role in building emotional resilience by implementing mindfulness practices, promoting emotional literacy and encouraging collaboration. When families work with educators, children receive consistent and comprehensive support to develop the emotional skills they need to thrive.
Our Building Social and Emotional Skills and Wellbeing online course empowers educators with tools to support children’s social development. If you’re keen to further your professional practice, check out our full range of professional development courses.