LATEST STORIES
Developing Social and Emotional Skills
We’ve had a very busy month learning about our tinana/body. In particular, we’ve been focusing on supporting our tamariki with calming their bodies when they feel hōhā/frustrated or pouri/sad. Social and emotional Social-emotional development is critical to children’s—and adults’—ability to navigate through life. Children develop cognitively, socially, and emotionally, and that development continues throughout the lifespan.
We have introduced our own made-up character called Rima the Robot to help us who comes alive on our drawing board. Our scenarios for Rima change on a daily basis to fit a particular situation that is arising for our tamariki from sharing, asking to play and using gentle hands. Ultimately the scenario winds up with Rima feeling riri/angry and pouri/sad all at the same time and is helped by a friend Honu the turtle. Honu asks Rima shut his eyes and take a big deep, gentle breath like you are smelling putiputi/flowers in the garden. And then very gently blow the breath away like you are blowing bubbles.
We repeat the breath in (smelling the flowers) and breath out (blowing bubbles) three times. (We all help model these strategies to Rima). Rima then notices after the third breath, he is feeling calmer but still not very happy. But, he is calm enough to explain to Honu what the problem is. Honu and our tamariki suggest ideas to help Rima solve his problem and all is right with the world again.