Social Development in Early Childhood

Self-Control and Self-Management
By the end of the preschool period children are much more able to exercise self-control and reflect on what they are doing.
Older preschool are able to weigh future consequences when deciding how to act.
Children this age are able to delay many pleasurable activitiea until they are more appropriate or until they will have better outcomes.
Blocked by som obstacle older preschoolers are able to stop and think of possible ways around it.

Children this age are better able to control emotions when goal-directed activity is blocked the likelihood of tantrums is decreasing.
Older preschoolers are able to do more than one thing at a time, as long as those things are not incompatible or highly complex.
Children this age are better able to concentrate-that is, to block out irrelevant thought, sights, and sounds and to focus instead on what is needed to do.

Interacting with peers
With children’s growing mastery of language the expanding world also includes new people, especially peers.
Representational skills and imagination make possible fantasy play which in turn helps the child to resolve conflicts, practice new skills, and try out social roles.
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