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Fostering Positive Social-Emotional Development
 An interview with Sarah Landy, Ph.D., author of Pathways to Competence. From the May 2002 Early Childhood newsletter.Q: Why are the first three years of life so important to children's social-emotional development? A: The first three years of life are so important because during this time, from early interactions with parents and other caregivers, children develop a view of themselves and the world. These early representations influence how children understand the world and the people in it and, consequently, how they perceive, respond to, and remember events they encounter on a daily basis. In addition to the influence of these early interactions on internal representations and behavior, they also influence the formation of connections in the brain between the frontal cortex (responsible for planning and control of both emotions and impulsive behavior) and the limbic regions (responsible for the emotions and emotional reactions). Once formed, these connections allow for greater rational control over more intense and difficult emotions so that young children, for example, can begin to respond to frustration by talking about it rather than throwing a tantrum, and to problem-solve rather than being overcome with sadness when they experience difficulties. Q: What social and emotional capacities are the most challenging for parents to foster? A: Many parents find the tasks of encouraging their children to control or regulate their emotions, and teaching children to manage their own behavior, to be the most challenging. This is because young children usually comply with the requests of caregivers only about 45% of the time, so the occasions that children refuse to follow through with parents' requests are frequent. Also young children are often determined to get their own way. Consequently, they can very easily become overwhelmed with emotions, resulting in temper tantrums or whining and complaining because they are finding the situation too stressful. These responses often stretch parents' patience to the limit, and parents may find themselves struggling to contain their own frustration and anger. They also may become discouraged and believe that their children will never learn to comply with their requests or learn the rules, routines, and values that they want them to follow. Helping children to acquire these capacities requires a great deal of time and energy, a rare commodity today as parents try to manage their busy schedules and the realities of the stress of daily living in an increasingly complex world. Q: What guidelines should professionals follow when preparing to work with families on parenting skills? A: There are a number of guidelines that are important to remember in working with families on parenting skills. These include:
Although these guidelines of working with families on parenting skills are important, nothing can replace the need for professionals to understand the strengths and risks of a particular family and to provide interventions that are relevant and effective based on this information.
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