RICHIE MCFARLAND CHILDREN’S CENTER

11 Sandy Point Road

Stratham, NH  03885

(603) 778-8193

www.richiemcfarland.org

                

Brain and Social – Emotional Growth

 

Brain Development and Social-Emotional Growth

 

The social and emotional growth of our children is perhaps the most important aspect of their development. Nurturing our children to become happy and self-sufficient is a process in which parents and caregivers play a significant role. Children cannot be nurtured too much.

 

The emotional experiences that children have from the moment they are born influence how their brains develop.  Babies learn that their actions bring responses from their caregivers.  A child’s ability to form emotional attachments, to manage and control their emotions, and to develop meaningful relationships are all functions of brain development that are strengthened by healthy treatment.  In addition, parents are important emotional models for their children.  Children will imitate their parents’ emotional responses and social interactions.  This forms the basis for the child’s emotional and social development. 

 

Enabling and encouraging children to develop relationships outside of the immediate family benefits emotional development in several ways.  First, it allows the child to practice their communication and social skills with a wider audience thereby increasing confidence in their ability to participate in new experiences.  Second, if the child spends time with other people, it increases the child’s chances of being with caregivers who are rested enough to provide a calm, responsive and loving environment.   

 

Two to Six Months

 

The part of a baby's brain that eventually helps to manage and control emotions is undergoing a growth spurt. Babies are learning internal controls through learning to calm themselves.  Parents and caregivers can help babies learn emotional control by recognizing when the baby is excited, frustrated or distressed, and responding in sensitive ways such as gently rocking, stroking or singing, or in some instances providing a quiet and calm environment to take a break from stimulation. 

 

Important emotional attachments are being made at this age, especially with the parents and adult caregivers.  When parents and caregivers respond gently to babies’ smiles, cries or cooing, they reinforce and strengthen these emotional attachments.

 

Six to Nine Months

 

The baby's brain memory center is maturing and their personality is developing. Parents begin to recognize their baby’s unique temperament—their individual way of approaching the world and can respond to the baby’s preferences.

 

During this phase of development, powerful attachments develop with important people in the baby’s life.  As a result, babies may become anxious when separated from their parents.  Providing a comforting and familiar toy such as a stuffed animal or blanket can ease separation anxiety.  Teach your baby that people and objects disappear and return by playing peek-a-boo and hide and seek.  Consistent warm physical affection such as hugging and kissing will also help to develop a sense of security and healthy emotional attachment.

 

Nine to Twelve Months

 

As the memory centers in the brain continue to mature, children become better at recognizing familiar faces.  Emotions are becoming stronger—showing affection for those they like and caution or fear toward those they don’t know.  Anxiety about separating from parents may become even stronger at this age but because due to higher level brain functions, babies at this age are better able to calm themselves.   Familiar objects are still effective in soothing young children’s emotions.  As physical development such as walking increases, children are able to go away and explore and then return to the safe base of their loved ones, helping to improve independence and self-confidence.

 

Twelve to Eighteen Months

 

Toddlers can be very frustrated during this time in their development wanting to do more than they can manage physically, cognitively and communicatively. Parents and caregivers must try to understand and cope with the child’s very strong desires and emotions.  Although language skills and impulse controls are developing, toddlers are usually unable to communicate or speak clearly and may use other perhaps less acceptable methods to communicate their frustration such as biting and hitting.

 

Parents and caregivers can help children learn impulse control in several ways.  Proactively they can try to anticipate frustrating situations for the toddler and gently redirect them before they lose control.  A consistent schedule during the day, especially around meals and naps generally helps provide the predictability and routine that helps to ward off frustration.  When a toddler becomes upset a parent or caregiver can intervene with gentle, consistent reminders of appropriate behavior. 

 

Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months

 

At this age, toddlers become much more aware of themselves and even more aware of their things.  While this possessiveness may seem “selfish”, children are usually ready to share when they have an understanding of what is theirs. 

 

Higher brain functions are continuing to mature which enables some degree of self-control, but not in a significant way at this age.  Increased self-control will continue to develop over the next several years and make sharing easier.

 

This is a time in a child’s development when parents and caregivers need to be diligent in their modeling of sharing behavior.  Keep expectations low around the toddler’s ability to share but continue to provide consistent and gentle guidance of acceptable behavior.

 

Twenty-four to Thirty-six Months

 

Curiosity, impatience, concern for others and the need for approval are all hallmarks of this stage of development.  Providing opportunities for supervised, guided playtime with other toddlers will improve social and emotional skills.

 

The best way to ensure children’s healthy social and emotional development is to -- as often as possible -- stay calm, provide consistent, warm and loving treatment, and model healthy social and emotional behavior. 

 

Please refer to an excellent web-site for much more in-depth information and guidance at

www.zerotothree.org/brainwonders/parents.html.

 

- Published by Seacoast Newspapers, 2001