As children grow, interact with their peers, and learn to navigate the world around them, conflicts are bound to arise. For preschoolers, learning how to manage emotions and resolve conflicts is a critical step in their social development, with Emotional Intelligence playing a significant role in conflict resolution as it helps children identify, express, and regulate their emotions.
So, what exactly is Emotional Intelligence?
What Is Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognise, understand, and manage one’s own emotions and those of others. This then allows us to interact with people and helps us to resolve conflicts more effectively.
Here are five tips for parents and teachers to help preschoolers develop their Emotional Intelligence, improve their conflict resolution skills, and learn how to handle disagreements in a healthy manner.
Conflict Resolution Tips For Preschoolers
1. Teach your preschooler to identify emotions
First of all, preschoolers should be taught how to recognise and label different emotions, such as anger, frustration, sadness, and happiness. This skill helps children identify their own feelings and the feelings of others.
In everyday life, there are many opportunities for children to identify and learn about emotions. When your child is upset, ask him to describe how he feels and use emotion labels like “frustrated” or “disappointed.” When you are out in public, point out people who look happy or sad and ask your preschooler to identify the emotions he sees.
To inject more fun, consider making emotion charts at home, which also help preschoolers identify and label different emotions. Encourage your child to identify his own emotions or the emotions of others and point to the corresponding picture on the chart.
2. Learn how to take ownership of one’s own emotions
Once your child understands the concept of emotions, guide him to take ownership of his emotions, which allows him to be aware that what he is feeling is valid and should be respected.
Though it may be difficult for him to control his reactions at first especially during meltdowns and temper tantrums, it’s still important to let your child honestly acknowledge and accept his feelings either in the moment or afterwards. Help him manage by guiding him to explore his emotions instead of trying to deny or suppress them when something unpleasant happens.
3. Encourage empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. By teaching your preschooler to consider how others feel, he develops a sense of compassion and a deeper understanding of his peers.
To teach empathy, try role playing. You can act out scenarios that are based on everyday situations such as sharing toys or resolving arguments between siblings or friends. Once you have acted out the scenario, encourage your child to put themselves in another child’s shoes and consider how he would feel if he was in the same situation. This understanding can help him figure out what course of action would best suit the situation at hand.
Next, talk through it with your child and explain why certain actions were taken or not taken. This will allow him to practise understanding how different people may feel in a given situation and how he can respond appropriately.
4. Teach compromise
Other than empathy, compromise is another important skill that preschoolers should learn when trying to resolve conflicts. Help your child understand that compromise is key in any conflict resolution and will go a long way towards helping them build stronger relationships with peers in the future.
Explain that both parties involved have different wants and encourage them to come up with a solution that meets both of those needs instead of simply telling them what they should do or not do to resolve the issue.
Similarly, MindChamps PresSchool educators take on the role of a coach rather than the actual problem-solver. They provide guidance to help the preschoolers discover that they can solve problems on their own effectively. This will also give them confidence knowing that they have the power within themselves to come up with solutions that make sense for everyone involved.
5. Reinforce positive behaviour
Last but not least, your preschooler should be praised for his efforts when he successfully resolves a conflict amongst his friends. Reinforcing positive behaviour encourages your child to continue practising his conflict resolution skills. Positive reinforcement includes a sticker on a chart, verbal praise, or even a big high-five.
Raise An Emotionally Intelligent Child With MindChamps PreSchool
Developing Emotional Intelligence is an essential life skill that should be nurtured starting at a young age. With the above five tips, parents can help their preschooler learn the basics of Emotional Intelligence, which will equip him with the tools he needs for successful conflict resolution in future.
At MindChamps PreSchool, we raise future-ready children who have the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitude they need to thrive in today’s ever-evolving environment. Our comprehensive S.M.I.L.E.S.™ Methodology and 3-Mind Approach provide a holistic learning experience for our students, nurturing all aspects of your child during the early years.
Book a visit to our preschool centre to learn more about our preschool activities and programmes today!