How does the emotional development of two year old differ from that of three year old?
KnowEmotional well-being during the early years has a powerful impact on social relationships. Children who are emotionally healthy are better able to establish and maintain positive relationships with adults, as well as with peers. Social-emotional development is essential to a young child’s sense of well-being. The relationships they form early on help shape who they are, who they become, and their understanding of the world. The important people in young children’s lives help lay the foundation for a range of social-emotional skills such as: Show
Social-Emotional MilestonesThrough early relationships with nurturing and responsive adults, infants and toddlers learn how to be in relationships, how to get their needs and wants met, and how to identify and regulate emotions. Social and emotional development both include behaviors that represent children’s emotional growth and their ability to successfully navigate their world through interactions with adults and peers. Since these skills develop together, this area of development is referred to as social-emotional development. Social-emotional milestones focus on children’s developing abilities to regulate their attention, emotions, and behavior, and to form positive relationships with adults and peers. It is important to highlight that within this area of development, infants and toddlers are creating a strong sense of self and building relationships with others at the same time. The chart below highlights the expected social-emotional skills of infants and toddlers as they grow. Keep in mind that individual differences exist when it comes to the exact age at which infants and toddlers may meet these milestones. As highlighted in the Cognitive, Physical, and Communication courses, milestones are not checklists with which to judge children’s development. Rather, they provide a guide for when to expect certain skills or behaviors to emerge in young children, so you are prepared to meet their changing needs. Think of milestones as guidelines to help you understand and identify typical patterns of growth and development in infants and toddlers. Although the skills mentioned in the chart will develop in a predictable sequence over the first three years of life, each infant and toddler is unique in when they will master each skill. Your goal is to help all infants and toddlers grow and learn to their potential.
Social-Emotional Developmental Milestones in Infants & Toddlers2 Months
4 Months
6 Months
9 Months
12 Months
15 Months
18 Months
24 Months
30 Months
36 Months
It is helpful to remember that expectations about developmental milestones are driven by cultural values and preferences. Theorist Lev Vygotsky said that adults share their cultural values and beliefs with children through daily interactions. Ideas, beliefs, and expectations about child development are just some of the ways cultures are unique. Becoming aware of and respecting these differences can help you better understand the family experiences that help shape the infants and toddlers in your care. Connection of Social-Emotional Development to Other Areas of DevelopmentWith our evolving understanding of brain development in young children, we continue to learn about the ways adult caregivers can be supportive and successful in helping children develop and learn. This growing understanding also includes how adult caregivers can help children develop social-emotional skills. Through nurturing and trusting relationships, infants and toddlers learn about the world. Their brains mature through interactions, and they learn how to form relationships, communicate, respond to challenges, and how to recognize, experience, and regulate their emotions from their relationships with caregivers. When infants and toddlers feel safe and have their needs met, they are more likely to observe, explore, play, interact, and experiment with people and objects. These experiences lead young children to learn and remember new things. This foundation for learning depends greatly on the quality of infants’ and toddlers’ early environments and relationships. Understanding and Supporting the Social-Emotional Development of Infants and ToddlersLet’s revisit the definition of social-emotional health according to Zero to Three: Within the context of one’s family, community, and cultural background, social-emotional health is the child’s developing capacity to:
Considering the components highlighted within this definition, below are additional ways to understand and support the social-emotional development of the infants and toddlers in your care. Birth to 3 months:
3 to 6 months:
6 to 9 months:
9 to 12 months:
12 to 18 months:
18 to 24 months:
24 to 36 months:
Supporting All Infants and ToddlersEvery child is born with their own unique way of approaching the world. This is called temperament. Some young children, for example, are constantly on the move while others prefer to sit and watch the world around them. Some children enjoy new experiences and meeting new people while others are slower to warm up in new situations. In young children, temperament is commonly defined as the individual differences in emotional responses and reaction to the environment. As Murphy and Moon (2010) describe, “infants and young children vary greatly in their interest in different sensory areas, in the intensity of their attention to sensory stimuli, and in their sensitivity to feelings of comfort and discomfort, familiarity and strangeness, and the emotional context in which sensory experiences occur.” Infants are born with a unique temperament. There is no right or wrong, good or bad temperament. By understanding temperament, you can continue to use what you know about infants and toddlers to encourage their strengths and support their needs. In the Apply section, you will review more information about temperament and consider what it means for your role as a responsive caregiver. It is important to note that no matter how well you understand temperament and are attuned and responsive to the needs of the children in your care, there will be times that a child may not appear to be developing appropriate social-emotional skills. This may be related to inborn (nature) or environmental (nurture) influences. The caregiving strategies in this lesson apply and relate to all children; however, some children may require an additional level of support. Each infant and toddler has a unique pattern of growth. In your work, you should observe and track each young child’s particular strengths and possible areas of need. Make the screening and assessment process part of your ongoing routine. This will help you to recognize and celebrate infants’ and toddlers’ accomplishments. It also helps you to identify any aspects of the child’s development that is not in line with the expected age range. The following general strategies can help you care for infants and toddlers who are experiencing social and emotional challenges.
You should always talk with a child’s parents to learn about any changes in home or other routines. You may recommend that parents contact their health-care provider and ask about completing a developmental screening for their child to identify any possible developmental delays. Talk with your trainer, coach, or administrator about additional community resources and specialists who may offer additional support. SeePromoting Social-Emotional Development in Infants and ToddlersVideo not availableWatch this video to learn about strategies for infants and toddlers who are experiencing social and emotional difficulties.DoYou can promote social-emotional development of infants and toddlers in several ways:
Take a moment to list behaviors that you believe indicate healthy social-emotional development. Compare your list with the behaviors noted within this lesson’s chart. Next, download the handout, Encouraging Social-Emotional Development During the First Three Years. While thinking about the infants and toddlers in your care, identify behaviors that you notice regularly and the ways you can encourage these behaviors during the first three years of life. Then, share and discuss your responses with a trainer, coach, or administrator. Use the handout, Learning More About Temperament, to explore additional online resources to better understand the temperament of infants and toddlers. Pick one of the resources and use the information to learn more about the temperament of a specific infant or toddler in your care. References & Resources Berk, L. E. (2013). Child development (9th ed.). Pearson. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Developmental milestones. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/FULL-LIST-CDC_LTSAE-Checklists2021_Eng_FNL2_508.pdf Copple, C., Bredekamp, S., & Koralek, D. (2013). Developmentally appropriate practice: Focus on infants and toddlers. National Association for the Education of Young Children Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center. (2018, May 30). Introduction to temperament. https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/mental-health/article/introduction-temperament Murphy, L. B. & Moon, R. (2010, February 22). Babies and their senses. Zero to Three. http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/temperament-behavior/babies-and-their-senses.html Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Inc. (2022). Ages and stages questionnaire (ASQ). https://agesandstages.com/ Trawick-Smith, J. W. (2013). Early childhood development: A multicultural perspective (6th ed.). Pearson. Wittmer, D. S., & Petersen, S. H. (2017). Infant and toddler development and responsive program planning: A relationship-based approach. (4th ed.). Pearson Publishing. What is the emotional development of a 2 3 year old?There's so much going on in toddler development at 2-3 years. At this age, expect big feelings, tantrums, simple sentences, pretend play, independence, new thinking skills and much more. Activities that are good for development include talking and listening, reading, working on everyday skills and cooking together.
What is the emotional development of a 2 year old?Two-year-olds are also capable of empathy—understanding the feelings of others. You might see a child comfort a peer who is hurt or even cry when he sees another child who is upset. At the same time, toddlers still love to say “No!” and struggle with resolving conflicts with friends.
What is the emotional development of a 3 year old?During this year your child really starts to understand that their body, mind and emotions are their own. Your child knows the difference between feeling happy, sad, afraid or angry. Your child also shows fear of imaginary things, cares about how others act and shows affection for familiar people.
Can a 3 year old identify emotions?Babies begin exploring their world with little concept of social cues or situations, but by the time they are just 3 years old, they can correctly label and recognize emotions, as well as identify them in situations.
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