The social environment is made up of the less visible parts of an infant-toddler program and relates to attachment as it affects the following interrelated characteristics of children:
Identity formation
Self-image
Cultural identity
Gender identity
Self-concept
The social environment is seen through the behaviors of the adults and children in it.
Identity formation is of special concern in infant-toddler programs because children under age three are in the beginning stages of learning who they are, what they can do, and where they belong.
Self-image is how children see themselves and includes the following characteristics:
Body awareness, which increases as movement develops
Cultural identity, which grows when the program regards families as partners and pays attention to cultural differences in ideas about what infants and toddlers need from adults
Gender identity relates to children's feelings about their gender as well as the following factors:
How their gender influences how they perceive themselves
How adults interact with them based on their gender
How adults model gender roles
Self-concept can be deeply affected by the adult's approach to discipline and guidance. It is important that adults do the following to positively impact children's self-concepts:
Use positive ways to guide behavior, such as redirection
Define what is acceptable behavior in terms of developmental ages and stages
Be aware of cultural differences in ideas about discipline
Modeling Self-Esteem by Taking Care of Yourself
If children are to grow up knowing how to take care of themselves, they need role models who meet their own physical, mental, emotional, and social needs.
