Social & Emotional Development
NURTURE INFORMATION HUB
Evidence
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29775884/
Peter H Gray, Dawn M Edwards, Ian P Hughes, Margo Pritchard
Children born prematurely — roughly 10 percent of all births — are at greater risk of developing social and emotional problems. Yet there is no clear way to distinguish between which children will develop impairments and which won’t.
Education
How do you know your baby is on track for social and emotional development?
Throughout your child's early years, your healthcare team will monitor their development, using milestones as guidelines to assess progress. These milestones are based on the average age at which children typically develop certain skills, and they're designed to help professionals identify potential concerns early. Keep in mind that even full-term babies may not always meet these milestones, so try not to worry too much.
Note: During the first 2-3 years of your child’s life when a baby is born before their due date, they will have two ages: their corrected age and their chronological age. https://www.miraclebabies.org.au/content/corrected-age/gmf9vc
Birth to 2 Months
Right from birth, babies look for comfort and support from caregivers. At first, that means holding your baby, rocking, and cuddling to help create a bond. Your baby is learning to trust someone to take care of their needs.
When your baby is fussy or crying, respond with warmth and kindness so your baby learns their needs will be met consistently and with care.
As your baby becomes more alert and aware, make eye contact often. Talk to your baby as if they could talk back, with natural conversational pauses and lots of facial expression. They will learn the rhythm of communication, and how to tell someone’s emotions from seeing expressions. Talk about the emotions as you see them, “Your eyebrows are up and you have a big smile, you are happy!” This way your baby can hear these important words early.
4 to 6 Months
Your baby will enjoy trying to copy your expressions and learn how to respond to people this way. Make a silly face, give a big smile, or raise your eyebrows and encourage your baby to do the same.
Babies start to notice things that are happening around them now and want to be a part of the action. Share one-on-one time with your baby and let them touch your face and copy your facial expressions. Share a laugh during bath time or snuggle in as you read a book to them. Respond to your baby’s reactions with joy and calm so they learn that their behaviour has meaning, and you are there to support them.
7 to 9 Months
You may notice that your baby is fearful of strangers, or loud noises or new situations. That’s completely normal. Offer comfort and explore slowly together, letting your baby know you are there. They will develop curiosity and learn to explore in safe ways, which will help do the same in new situations as they develop and grow. Play games together, like peek-a-boo, to help your baby explore back and forth interaction and shared emotions.
9 to 12 months
Now your baby is starting to recognise some words, even if they can’t say them yet. This lays a foundation for learning to express themselves and you can help them make the connection between words and feelings. When your baby laughs, talk about being happy. When your baby cries because the toys are being put away, talk about being sad that play time is over.
Your baby is forming a strong bond with familiar caregivers and at this stage tends to have favourite toys and people. At this time, your baby might want one toy over another or prefer bananas to carrots. You can help baby’s growing confidence by offering choices—which of these two toys do you want? Do you want the ball or the book?
This is also an age where your baby may like to hand you things, repeat sounds that you make and cry when you leave. Leave time during daily routines to connect, “mommy’s cooking dinner, can you give me the big spoon?” or “Grandma can hear you waking up, I am on my way to get you.”
Empowerment
You can promote social-emotional development of infants and toddlers in several ways:
- Respond with care to infants' and toddlers' needs
- Acknowledge an infant or toddler who points to a picture of themselves or their family – “That’s right, that is a picture of you and your dad!”
- Model caring behaviours and empathy during all interactions
- Read stories about feelings and show infants and toddlers pictures of different emotions
- Build strong relationships with the families of infants and toddlers in your care
Useful Links
Zero to Three
https://www.zerotothree.org/resource/birth-to-12-months-social-emotional-development/
Scholastic
Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)
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Confirmation Content
Disclaimer: This publication by Miracle Babies Foundation is intended solely for general education and assistance and it is it is not medical advice or a healthcare recommendation. It should not be used for the purpose of medical diagnosis or treatment for any individual condition. This publication has been developed by our Parent Advisory Team (all who are parents of premature and sick babies) and has been reviewed and approved by a Clinical Advisory Team. This publication is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Miracle Babies Foundation recommends that professional medical advice and services be sought out from a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your personal circumstances.To the extent permitted by law, Miracle Babies Foundation excludes and disclaims any liability of any kind (directly or indirectly arising) to any reader of this publication who acts or does not act in reliance wholly or partly on the content of this general publication. If you would like to provide any feedback on the information please email [email protected].
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