PSED in the EYFS stands for Personal, Social and Emotional Development. It is one of the three "prime areas" of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework in England, serving as a critical foundation for all future learning. PSED helps young children build positive relationships, understand and manage their emotions, and develop independence and self-confidence. 

The PSED curriculum is divided into three key sub-categories (see overview below):

• Self-Regulation: Understanding feelings, managing behaviour, and developing the ability to focus and control impulses.
• Managing Self: Developing independence, trying new activities, and learning personal care (like hygiene and dressing).
• Building Relationships: Forming secure attachments with adults and positive friendships with peers, as well as learning to share, take turns, and cooperate. 

     Top Tips to help your child at home:

1. Help Them Regulate Their Emotions

• Name the feeling: Instead of telling a child to stop crying, explicitly identify the emotion (e.g., "I can see you're feeling really frustrated because that puzzle is tricky"). 
• Model regulation: Let them see you manage your own emotions. Say things like, "I'm feeling a bit upset, so I am going to take three deep breaths". 
• Create a calm corner: Set up a quiet, cozy space with cushions, books, or sensory toys where your child can go to reset when they feel upset. 

2. Foster Independence and Managing Self

• Encourage self-care: Let your child practice dressing, undressing, putting on their own coat, and hanging it up independently. 
• Offer manageable choices: Give them simple decisions between two options (e.g., "Do you want to wear the blue socks or the red socks?") to build confidence in their own preferences. 
• Include them in chores: Ask them to help with small tasks around the house, like carrying their plate to the sink or wiping the table after snack time.
•  3. Build Relationships and Social Skills
• Model turn-taking: Use everyday situations to practice turn-taking phrases like, "My turn, then your turn".
• Talk about story characters: When reading bedtime stories, discuss how the characters are feeling and talk about their facial expressions or body language to build empathy. [1, 2]