Feelings affect everything we do - how we feel about ourselves, how we regard and behave towards other people, the choices we make in life. This message is echoed throughout the Early Years Foundation Stage and is summed up in a responsibility for providers to 'ensure support for children's emotional well-being to help them to know themselves and what they can do' (Practice Guidance for the EYFS, 2008, page 24).
Because children's emotional development is so important, this suggests three clear implications for our work.
IDENTIFY AND STRENGTHEN THE FEELINGS THAT WILL SUSTAIN CHILDREN THROUGH LIFE
At the start of their lives, young children need to experience positive feelings, and happiness should feature highly. Happy memories from childhood can nourish us throughout life and we can draw on them in difficult times. To ensure happiness, though, there are some necessary ingredients and conditions involved.
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