EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF INFANTS EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF INFANTS

EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT • BEGIN AT BIRTH AND CONTINUE THROUGHOUT LIFE. • THE PROCESS OF LEARNING TO RECOGNIZE AND EXPRESS FEELINGS AND ESTABLISH A UNIQUE PERSONAL IDENTITY. • HELPS A CHILD BECOME AN ADULT WHO IS SELF-CONFIDENT, ABLE TO HANDLE STRESS, AND EMPATHETIC TO THE FEELINGS AND CONCERNS OF OTHERS

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT • BEGINS AT BIRTH AND CONTINUES THROUGHOUT LIFE. • PROCESS OF LEARNING SELF-EXPRESSION AND HOW TO INTERACT WITH OTHERS • HEALTHY SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT HELPS A CHILD BECOME AN ADULT WHO COMMUNICATES WELL WITH OTHERS, LISTENS TO DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW BEFORE ACTING, AND SHOWS TOLERANCE FOR OTHER PEOPLE. • SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT ARE CONNECTED – FEELINGS CHILDREN HAVE ABOUT THEMSELVES ARE REFLECTED IN THEIR BEHAVIOR TOWARDS OTHERS

EMOTIONS IN INFANCY • EMOTIONS DEVELOP GRADUALLY BEGINNING IN INFANCY (EXCITEMENT, JOY, ANGER, AND FEAR) • BECOME MORE SPECIFIC WITH AGE • AT BIRTH EMOTION IS LIMITED • PAIN/DISCOMFORT – CRY • CONTENT – QUIET • AS PARENTS AND BABIES GET USED TO EACH OTHER THEY BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DIFFERENT EMOTIONS MEAN

BUILDING BONDS OF ATTACHMENT • BASIC NEEDS FOR PHYSICAL CONTACT • HELD AND CUDDLED • JUST TO HAVE SOMEONE NEAR THAT THEY TRUST • ATTACHMENT – THE BOND BETWEEN A CHILD AND PARENT • FORMING AN ATTACHMENT IS CRUCIAL PART OF INFANT’S EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT • BELIEF THAT THE INFANT’S ATTACHMENT TO A PARENT IS BASED ON TRUST, SETS STAGE FOR HEALTHY, LOVING RELATIONSHIP LATER IN LIFE

• PSYCHOLOGIST ERIKSON THEORIZED THAT THE FIRST YEAR IS A TIME WHEN INFANTS LEARN TO TRUST OR MISTRUST THE WORLD • LOVE AND AFFECTION FROM PARENTS AND OTHERS FOSTER BABY’S SENSE OF TRUST • GENTLE TOUCHING STRENGTHENS TRUST • A CHILD THAT HASN’T DEVELOPED A STRONG ATTACHMENT BY THEN MAY EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY IN RELATIONSHIP LATER IN LIFE.

COMMUNICATION • BETWEEN INFANTS AND PARENTS AND OTHERS IS IMPORTANT • INFANTS CAN’T YET UNDERSTAND WORDS , BUT THEY RESPOND TO THE CAREGIVERS VOICE, FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, AND EYE CONTACT. • CRY TO SIGNAL THEIR NEEDS • GAZE INTO THE EYES OF THOSE WHO CARE FOR THEM, TRACK THEIR MOVEMENT AND CUDDLE - SIGNS OF GROWING ATTACHMENT • AS BABIES MATURE RESPOND VERBALLY TO AND HUG THEIR CAREGIVERS AND EVENTUALLY CRAWL OR WALK TO THEM

LACK OF CONTACT • INFANT THRIVE WHEN THEIR EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL NEEDS ARE MET • LACK OF LOVE AND ATTENTION MY RESULT IN FAILURE TO THRIVE – A CONDITION THAT BABIES FAIL TO GROW AND DEVELOP PROPERLY • BABIES LEFT ALONE MOST OF THE TIME EXCEPT FOR BASIC PHYSICAL CARE MAY FAIL TO RESPOND TO PEOPLE AND OBJECTS – THEY BECOME WITHDRAWN – UNABLE TO DEVELOP CARING, MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS EVEN WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL HELP