Purpose: In the contemporary education system, the healthy development of children is a pivotal objective. As a result, the social well-being of children became a significant component of classroom management. The aim of the study was to explore how primary school teachers in central Kerala comprehend social well-being while managing child learners. This was strategically carried out by examining embedded conceptions about social well-being in descriptions of student management by teachers. Design/methodology/approach: The data utilised in the current paper were obtained through in-depth interviews with teachers employed in government primary schools in central Kerala, India. The refined data were then subjected to manual thematic analysis. Findings: Four distinct themes were identified from the data. It included social well-being as absence of disruptions, social well-being as quality relationships, social well-being as classroom belongingness and social well-being as active classroom engagement. The study asserts that teachers' conceptions were more focused on creating a well-balanced social atmosphere in the classroom, which can improve the sense of well-being among all, rather than the social well-being of individual child learners with respect to their social context. Originality/value: The knowledge generated by the present study is noteworthy since it deals with the comprehension of teachers regarding social well-being in managing child learners. Further, the study delves into areas such as conceptions regarding social well-being (how), the components of social well-being teachers focus on for management practices (what) and the reasons for selecting the particular focus domains (why).