What Is Social Emotional Development?

• Development of the capacity to form close and secure adult and peer relationships

• Expression of emotions in socially and culturally appropriate ways

• Exploration of the environment and learning— in the context of family, community, and culture

Social Emotional Development

• Beginning immediately after birth, a baby’s brain is primed to grow and make connections through meaningful experiences

• Supportive and caring environments and reciprocal, nurturing relationships are critical aspects to healthy lifelong development, beginning from the first days of birth and beyond, changing actual brain circuitry

• Connections help develop trust, empathy, and protect from stress and even negate effects of adverse life events and trauma.

• Understanding the significance of emotional development, connectedness is important for prevention, policy, and intervention (supporting parents, facilitating environment, role of school personnel, educators and providers)

• T/F: Few infants are born biologically ready for relationships : FALSE

• T/F Babies prefer looking at faces: TRUE

• T/F: Infants' brain development is completely determined and designed based on genetics: FALSE

• 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.

Emotions

• Center on the Developing Child at Harvard states that the first five years of life are crucial for emotional development, starting at birth.

• Emotions in the early stage are strongly influenced and intertwined with the relationship they have with others, particularly their caregivers

• Hard-wired to make emotional and social connections

• Primed to look at mother, preference for faces over objects, visual acuity

• Look longer at positive emotions, prefer altruistic acts

• Emotional development plays a key role in a child’s health and well-being, both short and long-term.

Milestones

• 2 months

  • Calms down when spoken to or picked up

  • Looks at your face

  • Smiles at people when they talk or smile

  • Cries when hungry, wet, tired, or wants to be held

• 4 months

  • Smiles on own to get attention

  • Begins making early noise sounds of laughter when prompted to laugh

  • Looks at you, moves, or makes sound to get or keep your attention

  • Smiles or coos at self in the mirror

• 6 months

  • Knows familiar people

  • Enjoys looking at self in a mirror

  • Laughs

  • Plays by grabbing foot when laying on back

• 9 months

  • Is shy, clingy, or fearful of strangers

  • Shows several facial expressions like happy, sad, angry, surprised

  • Looks when you call their name

  • Reacts when you leave (looks, reaches for you, or cries)

  • Smiles or laughs when you play peek-a-boo