Social and Emotional Development

Interaction, Expression and Individuality

Emotional Development

The process of learning to recognize and express your emotions, as well as establish identity and individuality.

Allows adult to display self-confidence, handle stress, and display empathy.

Social Development

The process of learning to interact with others, and express yourself to others.

Allows adults to display tolerance for others, and can interact peacefully. Good listener, respectful ect.

What We Need to Know:

Signs of emotional development in babies

How a baby’s care affects emotional development

How emotions change during infancy

Key Concepts:

A child’s behaviour and actions towards others is closely tied to their emotions and self-concept.

Babies bring their own experiences and individuality to any situations which dictates how they act/react.

Maturity dictates how they will react emotionally.

Building Trust

The attitudes newborns develop towards the world depend on how their needs are being met!

Needs Met = SecurityNeglect = Anxiety and Insecurity

Affect the ability to build trust both as a baby, and as an adult.

Emotional Climate

The atmosphere of the home and type of care are key in emotional stability.

Harmony, security, affection.

Feelings are contagious, and babies can pick up on this

Distrust, if continual, can interfere with development.

First Emotions

Crying◦Emotional: Distress, anger, disgust, fear,

boredom, attention

◦Physical: hunger, thirst, bottle, burp, diaper, temperature, illness.

◦Physical and Emotional are equally important.

Comforting

Other Suggestions?

Closeness and cuddlingNew positionTalk softly or singRocking, new movementDistraction, toys or objectRubbing their backPacifier

Self-Comforting

If a baby’s needs are consistently met, they will develop self-comforting methods

Thumb sucking, pacifier, security blanket or toy.

8-9 months

Emotional Complexity

Babies will gradually develop emotions, just as adults continue to experience more complex ones.

2 Months – smiling and delight4-5 Months – anger, disagree, disgust6 Months - fear7-8 Months – elation or high spirits9 Months – affection (for caregivers)

Stages of Social Development

First Days – response to voices. Tone of voice affect emotional response.

1 – Stops crying when lifted or touched. Takes delight in familiar faces.

2 – Smiling, eyes follow objects, enjoy watching people.

3 – Turning head, seek companionship and care.

Stages

4 – Babies laugh out loud and look to others for entertainment.

5 – Interest in other family, cry when left alone, babbling to people/objects

6 – Love company, and game playing

7 – Prefer parents over other family and strangers.

Stages

8 – Prefer to be around others, can move from room to room on their own.

9/10 – Socially involved, following people, and getting in the way. Often want to be chased and play the “dropping game”

11 - Friendly, and sensitive to others’ emotions. Know how to influence emotions, and be centre of attention.

12 – Tolerant of strangers, playful.

Attachment

A strong bond between two people.

Babies learn this around 6 months.

First emotional relationship.

Babies can experience loneliness.

Failure to Thrive

If loneliness persists, babies may experience:◦Failure to respond to people and objects◦Emotional, physical, social withdrawal◦Slowed growth and dev. ◦Become unattached◦Inability to develop caring or meaningful

relationships later on.

Learned Behaviour

Babies learn social behaviours through interaction and consistency

Caregivers must act and react consistently to baby’s needs

Daily routine and clues.

Promoting positive and discouraging negative behaviour.

Personality

Total of all the character traits

Traits which are consistent in an individual’s behaviour

Encouraged through social/emotional dev.

Varying degrees of each trait.

Traits

Sensitive – unusually aware of their surroundings and changes. (fussy, irritable, need reassurance)

Aggressive – strong willed and determined. (eat lots, cry loudly, physical)

Placid – very accepting of surroundings. (“easy” personality, calm, cheerful)