Chapter 8: Emotional and Social Development of Infants

Emotional Development Process of learning to recognize and express feeling and to establish a personal identity A child who experiences healthy emotional development will be self-confident What does self-confident mean?

Emotions in Infancy Emotions Born with the ability to express emotions Feeling response to the world around us Grow more complex with age Born with the ability to express emotions Parents can encourage positive emotions and help cope with negative ones Learn from caregivers how to react in situations

Emotions and Crying Infants do not have words so they show their needs and emotions through crying 2 months they change their cries A baby who is crying needs attention and care Cuddle Move the baby Sing Offer a toy Massage

Self-Comforting Thumb Sucking Pacifiers A baby will suck on a thumb, fist, or pacifier Around 6-7 months many babies stop Pacifiers Can help a baby calm down and fall asleep If using a pacifier you should use one that is the correct size for the babies mouth

Uncontrollable Crying Colic Uncontrollable crying by an otherwise healthy baby Cry for 3+ hours a day, 3+ days of the week, and for 3+ weeks Caused by anxiety, allergies, gas Reflux Partially digested food rises in the throat

Attachment and Emotional Development Baby’s bond to his or her main caregiver Physical contact help build attachment Babies develop trusting relationships when caregivers meet their needs Respond to caregivers facial expressions and eye contact Failure to thrive Condition in which babies do not grow and develop properly

Understanding Temperament A person’s unique emotional makeup Helps determine how a baby reacts to his environment Parents should learn to adapt to a child's specific traits Temperament traits cannot be changed

Emotional Climate of the Home Very sensitive to the feelings of people around them Influenced by adult’s emotions, tone of voice, gestures, and facial expressions Feelings of bitterness, mistrust, and anger can hinder an infants emotional development

Social Development and Learning Process of learning how to interact and express oneself with others Cause and effect Relationship between events in which one event, the effect, is caused by another effect Model Teach a behavior through example Always try to give babies clear messages

Stranger Anxiety Fear on unfamiliar people, usually expressed by crying Normal part of social development A caregiver can help a baby through the fear by providing consistent responses A baby may feel the same anxiety if a parent looks different

Social Development Through Play Babies learn about the world around them through play Play strengthens all areas of growth and development Caregivers and babies strengthen their attachment through play

Create a Safe Play Environment Comfortable space free of dangers and with toys that are safe and interesting Safety Gates Infants love toys and are colorful and make noise Choose toys that are safe and appropriate for the age of the baby

Social Development Through Exploration Have a need to explore Explore with their senses Once they start rolling, crawling, and walking they can explore more Babies use play to explore their world