What is the feeling of loneliness, and how can kindergartners overcome this challenging emotion?
Loneliness is characterized by a sense of emotional isolation and the perception of being alone, even when surrounded by others. Humans rely on meaningful friendships and connections to sustain their emotional well-being as social beings. When these are absent, loneliness starts to weigh on their chests and impacts various aspects of their lives.
For kindergartners, the triggers of loneliness can vary and often include experiences such as separation from loved ones, physical isolation, or difficulty achieving a sense of belonging. These instances are a natural part of life, making it crucial for kindergartners to learn how to navigate and cope with their lonely feelings healthily.
"The bottom line is that one can cope with lonely feelings by thinking positive thoughts and taking positive actions."
To help kindergarten students deal with the feeling of emotional isolation, this evidence-based SEL lesson begins by teaching them to recognize it through various relatable examples. Such examples include when a friend moves to another town or a parent leaves home for a while. This approach helps students become aware of their emotions so they know how to address them. After providing examples, the teacher explains that while these experiences are normal and common, kindergartners should not let their feelings hold them back from achieving new happiness.
Once students grasp the concept of loneliness, the lesson teaches them helpful ways to overcome it. For example, when a friend moves to another city, a child can send a letter or make new friends. Another example could be that a child can study, help around the house, or play while the child's parents are not yet home. The bottom line is that one can cope with lonely feelings by thinking positive thoughts and taking positive actions. Managing thoughts and actions is the most effective way to overcome lonely feelings.
At the end of this lesson, the teacher reiterates the idea of loneliness to students by clarifying its difference from being physically alone. Then, the teacher reminds them that while feeling emotionally isolated is a sad experience, there is hope to recover by pushing themselves to meet new people, make meaningful connections, and try new things.
In life, feeling lonely is an inevitable experience. This is especially true for kindergartners who will face many changes as they grow, such as graduating from elementary school to middle school. Many friends part ways during this transition and leave special memories behind, evoking difficult emotions. Furthermore, entering a new school and finding new social groups to belong to can cause students to feel emotionally alone and vulnerable.
It is crucial to prepare kindergartners for such upcoming changes in their lives by equipping them with essential social and self-management skills that can address their loneliness. With this effective lesson, these young students can apply self-management skills to approach their big feelings with positive thoughts and actions. This lesson also develops their social skills, so they can use it to help them expand their connections and lead a healthy life.
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