Wellness Blog
Associate Therapist, Maryam Sadeghzadeh
Early childhood, spanning from ages 2 to 6, is a transformative time in a child's life. This period marks tremendous growth across cognitive, physical, emotional, and social domains. As caregivers, your role is crucial in nurturing your child’s development through love, guidance, and engaging activities. In this post, we’ll explore key milestones during these years and how you can best support each area of growth.
Between ages 2 and 6, children are like sponges, absorbing information from their environment and rapidly developing problem-solving, language, and reasoning skills. They begin to ask “why” questions, think creatively, and grasp more complex concepts like numbers, shapes, and time.
How Caregivers Can Help:
Caregivers can support cognitive growth by providing a rich environment for learning. Engage in daily reading, answer their many “why” questions patiently, and introduce activities like puzzles, counting games, and building blocks. Encourage open-ended play that allows them to use their imagination, such as pretend play or creative arts. Expose your child to a variety of experiences, from nature walks to simple household tasks, to broaden their understanding of the world. By fostering curiosity and exploration, you create a foundation for lifelong learning.
During early childhood, children’s motor skills—both gross (running, jumping) and fine (drawing, using scissors)—develop significantly. This is the age where they become more physically independent, learning to climb, hop, ride tricycles, and engage in coordinated activities.
How Caregivers Can Help:
To support physical development, make sure your child gets plenty of opportunities for active play. Take them to the park to run, jump, and climb, or set up safe obstacle courses at home. Fine motor skills can be encouraged through art activities like coloring, cutting with child-safe scissors, and playing with clay or building blocks. Incorporate physical activity into daily routines, and provide safe, age-appropriate equipment to develop both balance and coordination.
Between 2 and 6 years old, children begin to understand their own emotions and start learning how to regulate them. They may have big emotional reactions but are also developing empathy and beginning to express emotions more verbally. Learning how to cope with frustration, disappointment, and sharing their feelings is essential during this stage.
How Caregivers Can Help:
To foster emotional growth, caregivers should encourage children to name and express their feelings. Help them navigate big emotions by remaining calm during outbursts, offering comfort, and teaching deep breathing or other calming strategies. Praise their efforts in self-regulation, such as sharing or waiting their turn. Consistent routines and clear boundaries also provide the structure that helps them feel secure. Use emotional moments as teaching opportunities, discussing feelings and offering solutions to manage them.
Social development during early childhood is focused on learning how to interact with peers, develop friendships, and understand social norms. Children in this age range move from parallel play (playing alongside others) to cooperative play, where they share, take turns, and collaborate in group activities. They start forming friendships and becoming more aware of the feelings and needs of others.
How Caregivers Can Help:
Caregivers can support social development by organizing playdates, encouraging group play, and modeling positive social behavior like sharing and cooperation. Teach them how to handle conflicts with peers by encouraging empathy and problem-solving. Help them understand the importance of kindness and respect by demonstrating these behaviors in your own interactions. Books and role-playing can also be great tools for teaching social concepts like friendship and cooperation.
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