This post originally was published by the Marion & Polk Early Learning Hub here.

One of the things that I’ve realized as a parent is that while there’s a lot of focus on building kids’ academic skills and their ability to read and write, a child’s ability to control their emotions and interact socially with peers is just as important to succeeding in school.  I’ve found that this can be a really tough and scary thing for children.  While some kids very naturally make friends and love being around others, other kids get quite uncomfortable around those they don’t know or are legitimately scared of situations where there are large groups of kids and people.   Continue reading →