Emotional Milestone in The Early Years

hire
NORMEN NorthamptonysMinds
Young Health
Partnership
Emotional Milestones
in the Early Years
from birth - 5 years
Understanding
Emotional
Milestones
Dear Parent/Carer,
We hope you will find this leaflet helpful.

The early years are an important time in
your child’s development, including their
emotional development.
It is the time when your child is establishing strong emotional ties with the
people who are most important in their lives. It is a time too, when they are
beginning to find out about themselves, their world, their feelings and those of
the people around them.
We generally know what the early physical milestones are for very young
children, for example their first step and their first word because we can see and
hear them but the emotional milestones are less clear cut. By paying attention
to our children’s behaviour, we can gauge where their emotional development is
‘at’ and this helps us to understand how they are feeling
and how they understand their world. This in turn helps us to better “tune
in” and respond to what they need and to know that our feelings affect their
feelings too.
This is why we’ve prepared this leaflet. It provides an overview of the important
emotional milestones. As with all milestones they are a guide only. Children are
individuals and develop in their own way. They do not necessarily move through
the milestones in a continuous progression but can move back and forth
through the stages or stay for a while at a particular level. This is particularly true
of the emotional milestones.
We hope you enjoy reading it and find it informative. If you would like to find
out more, please talk to the person who gave you this leaflet, or refer to the
back page.
The Emotional
Birth to
Milestones 6 Months
of Young Babies
• After the time been born, young babies are getting used to life in the world and
are learning to bond and develop trust with their main carers.
• Young babies smile, cry, grasp, cling, suck, make eye contact and sucking
movements with their mouth, and reach out to let you know they need
care and loving.
• Young babies love face to face contact and being talked to – this helps them
feel wanted and important and strengthens the bond with their main
carers and others.
• Young babies feel secure and cry less when held and cuddled. This will not spoil
them but help them feel loved and safe.
• Young babies tell you when they need quiet time and calming by turning or
looking away or when they are restless in your arms.
• As young babies develop they gradually are able to feel comfortable on their
own for slightly longer periods and begin to entertain themselves.
The Emotional
7 to 18
Milestones Months
of Older Babies
• Older babies gain pleasure form exploring their immediate world around them
by touching, holding and putting things in their mouth.
• Older babies enjoy looking at you and what is happening around them.
• As their closeness to their main carers strengthens, older babies can become
wary of people with whom they are familiar but don’t see as often
(e.g. grandparents) as well as with strangers. Closeness and attention from their
main carers reassures them.
• Older babies are learning that they are a separate person from their main carers
by exploring the immediate world around them.
• Older babies can make connections between the look on a person’s face and
the tone of their voice e.g. happy face and soft tone, anxious face and
sharp tone.
• Older babies are beginning to
manage their feelings by soothing
themselves with thumb-sucking
and other habits as well as
distraction through play as they
learn their main carers are not
always instantly available.
• When main care givers respond
quickly, consistently and
sensitively, older babies learn
more quickly about their feelings
and how to manage them.
The Emotional
18 months
Milestones to 3 years
of Toddlers
• Toddlers are becoming more
independent and wanting their own
way. They show extremes of
behaviour from very independent to
dependent, aggressive to calm,
helpful to stubborn. These changes
can happen quickly.
• Toddlers only understand the world
from their point of view.
• Toddlers like to test the boundaries
set by their main care givers to gain
the reassurance that the boundaries
(limit setting) are still there.
• Tantrums and other reactions to anger and frustration are common in toddlers.
• Toddlers respond well to comfort shown by cuddles, holding, stroking, patting,
calming and gentle tones and being in a quiet, comforting place.
• Toddlers express their feelings and are learning to manage their feelings
through play.
• Toddlers are beginning to name feelings, e.g. happy, sad, angry, scared and to
show interest in others’ feelings. Songs, games, stories and imaginative play
helps toddlers to know more about feelings and the feelings of others.
• Toddlers are learning to link ‘cause and effect’ and are better able to remember
from previous experiences the reason and causes for how they feel. This is
helped when their main carers can simply talk and explain about feelings
at the time.
• Talking with toddlers before difficult events such as changes or separations
helps them to manage their feelings and to feel secure and comforted.
The Emotional
3 to 5
Milestones Years
of Young Children
• Young children are starting to play more with other children and may still get
upset when left.
• Young children are becoming more confident and still like to seek the attention
of their main care givers.
• Young children are starting to express their feelings in words more as well as
through actions.
• Young children are beginning to show awareness of other people’s feelings and
that these might be different from their own about the same situation.
• Young children are literal and magical in their thinking. They believe that wishes
do come true so it is important for adults to use words carefully when speaking
about important things.
For further information:
If you would like to find out more or talk about what you have read in this leaflet
below here is a list of useful contacts:
Local Health Visiting team: Every family with children under five has access
to a health visitor. Their role is to offer support and encouragement to families
through the early years from pregnancy and birth to primary school. They can be
contacted through your GP’s practice. The HealthVisitor has links with specialist
professionals such as Community Paediatricians and Child and Adolescent Primary
Mental Health Practitioners.
The Pre-school, Nursery or Children Centre practitioner: The staff of

your child’s early years setting would be happy to discuss questions related to your
child’s development. They know who else to talk to if you might find this helpful as
well, such as their link Educational Psychologist.
Parentline is one of many useful organisations. A confidential phone line

for parents. Parentline is there for any parent, any time. Free, confidential.
Tel: 0808 800 2222
Families Information Service provides information, advice and guidance on

childcare, activities and family support services that families can access.
For more information please visit www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/fis
tham pt on sh ire
Nor y Min ds
Young Health
Partnership
Northamptonshire practitioners
can request this leaflet free of
charge from:
Health Promoton Resources

[email protected]
The information contained in this leaflet can be

made available in other languages and formats upon
request such as Braille, large print and audio cassette.
This leaflet has been produced by a group of professionals: (health visitors: Paul Howard and Diane Dinch; educational
psychologist: Alison Gardner; child and adolescent primary mental health worker: Annie Waldsax) who are members of
the CAMHS Mental Health Promotion and Early Intervention work stream in Northamptonshire. As well as referring
to their own expertise, the authors of this leaflet also referred to The Solihull Approach (2nd Edition); Personal, Social
and Emotional Development - Birth to Five Years - Training Materials (DfES 2006): The Early Years Foundation Stage
(DfES 2007) and Dr S Greenspan’s Socioemotional Development of Infants and Children.
Third reprint 4/2012

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We hope you will find this leaflet helpful.

The Pre-school, Nursery or Children Centre practitioner: The staff of

Parentline is one of many useful organisations. A confidential phone line

Families Information Service provides information, advice and guidance on

Health Promoton Resources

The information contained in this leaflet can be

Third reprint 4/2012

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