• 

We all want to make our children independent and fierce so that they can very well handle the problems and obstacles that will come in the future. But we often forget that we should begin preparing our children for the best and for the worst at an early age. That’s where the need for holistic development comes in. It is the most important factor we as parents or teachers should focus on for children at an early age. Holistic development is the process of developing a child’s physical, cognitive, emotional, and social abilities. It’s these abilities that can help our children reach their full potential in life. With the help of these skills, children learn to interact, understand and express the world around them.

We as parents should understand that early childhood is an imperative time of growth and development. It is the time when our children rapidly go through changes, learn new things, grow and so much more. Therefore, it becomes important to make them prepared physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively so that they learn the best. Today, we are going to discuss everything about holistic development, why it is important for children, and how we can help build it.

What is Holistic Development?

Let’s understand the concept of holistic development of children with this example. Imagine building a house, you have to build detailed plans for the study with all the specifications in mind. But the rest of the house, you have completely left to the minds of the architect. So, now when the house is complete, the study looks amazing but you do not find other parts of the house attractive or useful. Although they will function well, and won’t cause you any discomfort, they will surely make you feel disconnected. It won’t feel like a home, because it lacks the feeling you hoped for.

In a similar way when we plan our child’s education solely on an academic basis, our child won’t bring out satisfactory results for themselves and won’t be successful adults too. The concept of holistic development focuses on the overall growth and development of the child. It involves cognitive, physical, emotional, and other areas of development that put a strong emphasis on the balance of these areas. This is important during the early childhood part because it helps children to easily adapt, learn, adjust, and cope with the challenges life throws at them. This also helps them build positive attitudes, behavior, and relationships. it is in fact one of the prime reasons parents plan their child’s admission to a play school early nowadays.

Importance of Holistic Development

Physical Development

One of the biggest and most important aspects of holistic development during the early years is the child’s physical health and development. It is very essential for their overall well-being. Certain physical activities like playing outdoor sports enhance physical development and also provide children with opportunities for social interaction and emotional growth. With the help of physical activities, children learn to coordinate, balance, build stamina, and strength, and also develop motor skills. All of these things are important for the physical health of children. There are many more daily activities that require these skills.

Social Development

Another important part of holistic development in the early years is social development. With the help of social development, children learn how to cooperate, interact, and collaborate with others. When children develop socially, they also learn about building relationships, forming friendships, and gaining a sense of belonging. As it helps form caring and secure relationships that help children develop empathy and understanding which are important skills for a lifetime.

Emotional Development

Another important aspect that can be combined with social development is emotional development. Children should be able to express their emotions in a healthy way and that is only possible when they develop emotional skills. When they develop emotionally, they also understand the emotions of the other person and also learn to regulate them. When we talk of emotional development, it is closely connected to social development. As children learn how to talk and interact with other people, they learn to build relationships. With the help of emotional development, children learn to manage stress and difficult emotions, such as anxiety and fear.

Cognitive Development

Another important aspect of holistic development during the early years of childhood is cognitive development. This development factor involves the learning and understanding of language, numbers, and symbols. We should know that each cognitive function activates a certain part of the brain. Similar to other aspects, children develop their cognitive abilities at different paces. Cognitive development helps children understand the world around them and relate to it. Through cognitive development, children learn to think, reason, and problem-solve.

Creative Development

Creative development is one of the important aspects of holistic development in the early years. It is this ability that helps children explore their imagination, gain confidence in self-expression, and develop skills in the arts. Creative development involves creative activities that learn how to think outside the box and express themselves in new and amazing ways. It can be said holistic development brings out the creative side of your child that helps them become efficient adults in the future.

How To Develop Children Holistically During Childhood

Now, we have understood how holistic development helps our children. But we also understand that developing children holistically during childhood is a challenging and important task. It requires all your dedication, patience, and attention to detail. What we need to understand is that the key to developing children holistically is to provide them with a variety of experiences and opportunities to learn, explore and grow. Caregivers and parents can focus on the holistic development of their child by following ways.

Encouraging physical activity:

It’s very important for us to encourage our child for physical activity. We should provide children with plenty of opportunities to be active and explore their physical activities. Whether they are at home or at their daycare, activities that require physical strength are a must.

Promoting emotional development:

Always make your child emotionally stable that can happen when you promote emotional development within them. As a parent, help your child to understand the feelings of other people, make it easy for them to express their feelings, and develop empathy in their hearts for others.

Fostering social development:

You should also foster social development in your child by giving children the opportunity to interact with peers. The best way to do that is to enroll them in play school at an early age. This is a palace where they can interact with peers, learn how to cooperate with fellow mates, and also learn to practice problem-solving.

Conclusion

The total growth of a child is greatly influenced by holistic development. Many facets of a child’s personality, including their physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development, are aided by it. Children are able to gain a greater awareness of their surroundings, engage in problem-solving, and develop spiritual insight by participating in activities that support holistic development. The future health and happiness of children will be aided by all of these advantages. So, go ahead, and it’s time for you to work on your child’s holistic skills.