Social and emotional development Characteristics include: Three year olds often enjoy being with other children and can now play together more. They are learning that other people are real and have real feelings. They may still have fears of noises, the dark, animals, monsters and so on.
Loving relationships give young children a sense of comfort, safety, confidence, and encouragement. They teach toddlers how to form friendships, communicate emotions, and to deal with challenges. Strong, positive relationships also help children develop trust, empathy, compassion, and a sense of right and wrong.
Love, security and acceptance should be at the heart of family life. Children need to know that your love does not depend on his or her accomplishments. Mistakes and/or defeats should be expected and accepted. Confidence grows in a home that is full of unconditional love and affection.
From ages 3 – 5, children are starting to be more aware of the feelings of other people, want to have friendships, and practice being more independent.
By four to six years old, most children can recognize and understand the basic emotions: happy, sad, angry and afraid. More complex emotions (such as pride, guilt and shame) are built on the basic emotions.
Some examples of emotional needs might include feeling appreciated, feeling accomplished, feeling safe, or feeling part of a community. As humans, we seek emotional nourishment as much as food and water.
Your child is learning to understand about other people's feelings and needs. They can feel empathy for others, and can share toys and take turns, at least some of the time. They may sometimes feel jealous of your relationships with other people, such as your partner.
Signs of mental health problems in children include lasting sadness or worry, trouble sleeping or eating, and problems at school. If you're worried about your child's mental health, ask your child how they're feeling and listen to them.
Preschoolers (3 to 5 years):
This is the age when your child internalizes family values. Since rules and norms are essential for discipline in the family, they become important for your child too. Your child expects older people, or parents, to take charge.
To be safe and secure.
Children need to feel that they are living and learning in a safe environment and that the adults in their lives are working to keep them from physical and emotional harm. They need parents to protect their feelings and not put them in situations in which they cannot succeed. 2.
Anger, Fear, Sadness, Disgust & Enjoyment
Understanding our emotions is an important part of good mental health. Below is a diagrammatic representation of the five basic emotions, which contains different words to describe the varying intensity of feelings in these five domains.
To start identifying your emotional needs, try writing a list under each of these areas. For example, ask yourself, “what would make me feel safe and secure in life?”, “what would bring me a sense of purpose, autonomy and identity?”, “how much play do I have in my life currently?”
Kids can express their feelings through facial expressions, through their body, their behaviour and play. Sometimes they may act out their feelings in physical, inappropriate or problematic ways.
During mealtime, tell children about a situation that makes you feel a particular emotion (e.g., happy, sad, frustrated, angry, jealous, etc.) Then ask children to share the things that make them feel that same emotion. Add more complicated emotion words to daily talk as children start to understand the basic emotions.
Six-Core Emotions. The 6 core emotions are- happiness, fear, sadness, disgust, surprise, and anger.