Hardly a day goes by without a
headline in our news media about the social and emotional development of our
youngest children. Strictly speaking, the articles might not say that’s what
they’re about, but they are nonetheless. If it’s a story about crime trends,
education, or even economic development, it’s also a story about early
social-emotional development.
What exactly is social and emotional development? It’s the
change over time in the way children react to and interact with their social environments.
A child is not born with the ability to identify his emotions, control his
impulses, or understand his place in the social world. These fundamental social
and emotional skills are learnt through experience.
Knowing the rapid growth of brain is between birth and age 3,
its important to know that early
experiences can have long-term consequences in a child’s life. Infants and
toddlers need nurturing parenting and stable environments that provide safety
and security and support learning and exploration. Without them, a child is
unlikely to reach his or her potential.
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| Pupils presenting to their parents during school open day at St. John's Bukangara |
Due to community, children develop a strong social-emotional
foundation that in turn improves their social economic competitiveness. This is
because the social and emotional skills that children begin learning in infancy
are strongly related to later outcomes like readiness to attend school (Like my
daughter Daniella Asinja finds herself home alone and thus the urge of joining
her elder sister (Isabella) to school). Even at a later stage this affects
their attendance and later adult earnings.
Mr.Peter Kabwana, the LC III of Nyakiyumbu sub county in one
of the stakeholders meeting said that, “Early childhood intervention…is the
deciding factor between being a successful community in the future or simply
maintaining the status quo or more of the same.” Committee recommendations
included sub county taking a leading role in strengthening families through the
SOVC (Sub county Orphans and Vulnerable Children committee) that are supposed
to make home to home visits discussing parenting, advocating for a friendly
school environment to attract children to and stay in schools and advocating
for redress of all issues affecting children.
The benefits of this concerned attention to early childhood will
be seen in lower rates of student drop out, reduced crime rates among our adolescents
and youth, higher graduation rates, better educated and equipped workforce, and
decreased “brain drain.” However like any investment, this positive change will
never be realized in a short period of time. Behavior change of parents,
teachers, leaders and our children will take time but time that is worth
waiting for.
With evidence, children who receive sensitive, responsive
parenting during infancy and early childhood tend to have better outcomes in
the first grade, greater academic competence going forward, better social
skills, and better relationships with teachers and peers. It becomes
mathematical that due to these social and emotional skills, they tend to group
up to adults of good health, responsible citizens (away from crimes) and model
parents.
Note that the first three years are fundamental in child development.
Clearly, these first three years are a time that cannot be wasted. This is when
children begin to develop self-confidence, curiosity, empathy, and
self-control. But they need positive and nurturing parents and caregivers
because these forms the framework for how children see themselves (gives them a
self belief) and how they interact with their world.
Our goal as KALI is that all of us not only nurture the
children in our own families, but that we advocate tirelessly for the
interventions and investments that gives every child a chance to succeed in
life. We advocate for public funds spent on early childhood social and
emotional development and not a handout for children and their families, but a
solid investment in a better future for Memphis. ALUTA CONTINUA
Prepared by
Masereka Gilbert
