The Power of Parenting

Thursday, 12 November 2020

Emotional Development: 25 to 30 Months

Emotional Development means the development of a full range of emotions from sad to happy to angry, and learning to deal with them appropriately. This helps build self-esteem and leads to such deeper qualities as sympathy, caring, resiliency, assertiveness and empathy and the ability to rise to life’s challenges.
Typical Skills
  • Moves back and forth between wanting independence and needing security of parents
  • Can still be attached to a cuddly or favourite toy
  • Demands his own way much of the time
  • Needs an ordered, predictable routine (e.g., when saying good-bye to parent in the morning)
  • Expresses feelings through language and pretend play (e.g., roaring like an angry lion)
Emerging Skills
  • Separates more easily from parents
  • Responds to other children’s feelings and begins to show empathy
  • May develop sudden fears
  • Displays frustration and tantrums if he is not understood
  • Becomes less upset by limits and discipline

Comfort
If you do this:

  • Encourage your toddler to show his emotions and talk about them; for example, “It’s OK to cry. Can you tell me what’s making you sad?”
  • Model coping with emotions, such as talking through frustrating problems with your toddler, using words like, “This makes me feel sad/happy”
  • Move your toddler to a quieter place when he is having difficulty coping with his emotions
  • Feel comfortable expressing his feelings
  • Be more likely to recognize emotions in other children and adults
  • Learn strategies for dealing with emotions
  • Learn more acceptable coping skills
Play
If you do this:

  • Provide the chance for pretend play with dolls and teddies in order to experiment with emotions
  • Give your toddler many opportunities to “do it myself;” offer times to practice getting dressed or helping with household tasks
  • Read books that illustrate how children or animals experience a range of emotions like jealousy, anger, affection
  • Express different emotions through toys
  • Begin to understand that he is a separate person from you
  • Begin to develop the ability to understand another person’s emotions and what might have caused them
Teach
If you do this:

  • Encourage your toddler to understand how others may feel in situations
  • Help her understand how her behaviour may have an impact on others
  • Watch education programs on television and point out the kinds of emotions characters are feeling
  • Begin to develop empathy and sympathy
  • Begin to be aware of the feelings others may have
  • Begin to understand how other children might feel in certain situations
  • Enjoy being with you and talking about TV character