Addressing a Child's Emotional Development

Evaluate Relationships

• From an early age, your child should begin to form attachments with parents, relatives, siblings and friends. Healthy emotional development involves positive interactions with loved ones and friends. Monitor your child̵7;s interactions and give her the opportunity to be social. Even the most shy child will eventually warm up when she is integrated with family members and friends at social gatherings.

Discuss Emotions

• Children are very intuitive when it comes to emotions. If your son observes you crying, it̵7;s common for him to try and provide comfort or question your obvious pain. It helps children to put their feelings into words, according to the Australian Childhood Foundation's website. Encourage him to explore why people experience feelings of sadness, joy, fear and pain by discussing his feelings. Ask questions such as ̶0;How do you feel when your brother takes away your toy?̶1;; or ̶0;Why do you think grandma is happy right now?̶1; to help him identify feelings attached to life events.

Teach Behavior Management

• Once your child is able to identify her feelings, it may be easier for her to manage her behavior accordingly. For example, if she knows it is acceptable to cry when she is hurt, she is more likely to express her pain through tears versus angry or violent behavior. According to the Child Development Tracker, supported by PBS Parents, a child's emotional development involves a range of emotions that include fear, frustration, affection and anger. Many of these emotions produce tantrums or defiance at various moments. Talk with your child about how to handle these frustrating feelings. Although it may upset your daughter to witness another child winning at a board game when she is not, show her appropriate reactions and strategies to be a good sport, such as counting to 10 or offering words of encouragement to others instead of whines and groans. PBS Parents also recommends comfort objects for younger children, such as a teddy bear or blanket, to help calm angry or sad feelings.

Model Emotional Development

• A child's emotional development is heavily influenced by his relationships, according to the Australian Childhood Foundation. Parents have the opportunity to model emotional management on a daily basis by showing their children how to manage relationships. For example, if your child sees you in disagreement with a family member, use this opportunity to explain your feelings. If something makes you happy, share these experiences with your child. When she sees that you have many of the same emotions she is experiencing, it will help her to manage her emotions, too.

Provide Support and Consistency

• It̵7;s likely that your child̵7;s emotions or frustrations will spur unacceptable behavior from time to time. Be open and honest about expected behavior while validating that what your child is feeling is real. Although temper tantrums are common, he may not realize that his reactions and behavior based on his emotional state can also affect his family, loved ones and friends. Promote a loving environment where he feels comfortable discussing his concerns while also setting rules and consequences for inappropriate behavior. If you have concerns about your child's emotional development, it's always best to seek help and advice from health care professionals, too.