Emotional & Social Development of Infants

1. Emotional & Social Development of Infants

2. Part I: Emotional Development

3. What is Emotional Development? • Emotional Development: is the process of learning to recognize and express feelings and establish a unique personal identity. • Important so child becomes an adult who is self-confident, able to handle stress, and empathetic to feelings and concerns of others

4. Emotions in Infancy • How Emotions Develop • Month 1: Interest • Months 1-3: Sadness • Month 5: Disgust • Months 4-6: Joy • Months 9-12: Anger ** Mimicking helps! Researchers have found that if a parent/caregiver first mimics a child’s unhappy expression, then lightens the mood by using a positive voice and smiles at the infant, it is likely the child will smile back.

5. Building Bonds of Attachment • Attachment – physical contact that helps build bond between parent and caregiver • Sets stage for healthy, loving relationship later in life • Can be strengthen through communication, contact, and care • Lack of contact results in failure to thrive – a condition in which a baby fails to grow and develop properly

6. Understanding Temperament • Temperament – a person’s unique nature; determines how a baby reacts to others and to the world • Nine different traits that each person has to a greater or lesser degree • Intensity – how strong or weak a child’s emotional responses are to events or people • Persistence – how determined a child is to complete an action • Sensitivity – how strongly a child reacts to his/her feelings

7. Understanding Temperament, cont’d • Perceptiveness – how aware the child is of what’s going on around them • Adaptability – how easily the child can adapt to change • Regularity – how regular the child’s behavior patterns are • Energy – how energetic the child is • First Reaction – how the child faces new situations • Mood – how cheerful/cranky the child is

8. Crying and Comforting • Ways to comfort when crying: • Cuddle up with the baby in a rocking chair • Move the baby to a new position • Talk softly or sing to the baby • Offer a toy to interest or distract baby • Stroke or gently rub baby’s back • Thumb sucking/ pacifiers

9. Continual Crying • The baby may have colic – a condition where child is extremely fussy everyday • A baby with colic cries a lot and inconsolable • The baby may also have reflux; having trouble with partially digested food that rises in the throat

10. Part II: Social Development

11. What is Social Development? • Social Development: is the process of learning self-expression and how to interact with others. • Important so child can become an adult who communicates well with others, listens to others points of view, and shows tolerance Describe your own social development. Describe someone who is an example of having great social skills and also someone who does not have great social skills.

12. Stranger Anxiety • Stranger anxiety – a fear of unfamiliar people, usually expressed by crying • Usually develops during second half of baby’s first year • How to cope: • Act welcoming to new person • Encourage friends and relatives to speak softly • Never force baby to be held by unfamiliar person • Stay close to the baby • Let the baby set timetable for adjustment

13. How Behavior is Learned • Babies learn how to behave through their relationships with others • Babies develop better social behaviors if they get more positive responses than negative ones • Always give babies clear message, i.e. don’t frown when expressing love

14. Social Development Through Play • Babies learn about the world around them through play • Play strengthens all areas of development; socially, it helps children to learn to interact with other adults and children

15. A Play Environment for Infants • Parents and caregivers need to provide a comfortable space with no dangers and with toys that are safe and interesting • Important to choose toys that are colorful, safe, age-appropriate, and clean What would a “safe” toy look like?

16. Play and Exploration • Babies look at and play with toys to explore colors and textures • Babies explore using cause and effect – one event is caused by another event • Ex. Babies learn that letting go of a toy will cause it to fall