you waited for your friend to be done with the toy before you played with it.”), also “avoid comparisons with other children and seize opportunities to build your child’s self-esteem and grit,” encourages Principal Vorderbruegge. Manage Emotions and Responses From when babies quiet themselves by sucking their thumbs to when preschoolers start to express their feelings with words instead of tantrums, learning to manage emotions and how we communicate with others is a lifelong journey. Parents are at the forefront of modeling positive reactions to varying situations. The next time you are late to pick up your child at school, for example, explain your shortfall and adjust to ensure “next time will be better.” Principal Vorderbruegge advises, “Don’t be afraid to fail. Modeling 124 HAWAII PARENT January/February 2025 Books To Help Build Social–Emotional Skills Birth to 1 year • Baby Faces by DK Publishing • Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt 1 to 2 years • Pretend You’re a Cat by Jean Marzollo • No Biting! by Karen Katz 3 to 4 years • Feelings by Aliki • Being Friends by Karen Beaumont 4 to 5 years • Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst and Ray Cruz • Clementine and Mungo by Sarah Dyer Also, while helping your child to understand his or herself, realize that all children grow at different rates and develop unique personalities. While continually giving positive praise for individual accomplishments (“It is excellent how Arrange playdates so they can practice sharing, following rules, and communicating. “All children grow at different rates and develop unique personalities.”
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