Use what you have learned in this lesson to promote children’s social-emotional development. Read the following scenario and brainstorm how you would respond. When you are finished, discuss your response with your trainer, coach or family child care administrator.

Brian is a 4-year-old preschooler. He has two older brothers who often take his toys from him at home and rarely let him play with his favorite superhero figures. When he is at your family child care program, he has a hard time sharing toys and materials with the other children. He often takes blocks or plastic animals into a separate room and gets frustrated when other children want to play with him or share the materials.
You might try writing a scripted story for Brian about playing with friends and toys at school. You can include language to help Brian know how to say “No” politely if he wants to play alone, and to help him recognize situations when it’s important to share. You can also set specific times (perhaps during arrival) when Brian can play alone with his favorite toys. Then, build in other structured times when he is learning to play with others. Adults can stay close to make sure play goes smoothly and to model social skills.