Toddlers start learning as they experience new things around them socially, emotionally and even physically. When your little one is out there in the world, he or she is at the same time growing a network of feelings. It can be rather chaotic for both of you! It is therefore important that parents and caregivers comprehensively understand toddler emotional development to be able to manage his/her toddler as can be demanded at this stage of development. This post will help you navigate the many steps and provide helpful advice on helping your toddler boost her emotional health. – Toddler Emotional Growth

Understanding the Basics of Toddler Emotional Growth

Toddlers get easily upset as they develop more sense of their persona and environment. It may be happy but it also comes with frustrations, anger and sometimes even tears! In order for one to adequately assist your toddler it’s important that they have some basic understanding of the toddlers age emotional stage.

The Different Aspects of Anger management in Toddlers

Every toddler develops at their own pace, but there are general milestones you can look out for:

• 12-18 months: During this phase the child is only capable of exhibiting primary emotions such as happiness, unthankful Ness, anger, as well as fear. It may be clumsy managing such feelings, and consequently present behaviors such as temper tantrums.
• 18-24 months: By the time the child is two years of age, self-consciousness begins to develop. They start developing other feelings such as embarrassment, shame, and guilt. They may also begin to empathetic with others.
• 24-36 months: At this age they become more independent and commanding at times, over their parents. They may likely cry, feel jealous, be proud , be excited and exhibit other feeling that may be exhibited by an adult. They also begin to comprehend social signals that encompass social characteristics of of certain objects or places.

Parents should also understand that some variation of emotions is very normal in toddlers, and everyone develops emotions at a different pace. That is to say, while and some physiological indicators of temperament can be identified beginning at infancy, it is recognized that some toddlers may be naturals at expressing themselves while others may be more inhibited.

Feelings Children at This Age Go Through

Toddlers get to express their feelings, or lack thereof, in many ways mainly because they display feelings with zeal. Some of the key emotions they navigate include:

• Joy: Perhaps, this is one of the most beautiful feelings to watch in a child of this age. They speak loud and cheer up when they are happy proper laughing and smiling.
• Frustration: Toddlers try for independence run into barriers that create the experience of frustration. This can include, whining, crying or even throwing objects.
• Anger: Temper tantrums are anger specific to the toddler group of children. He or she may raise the tone, use abusive language, or physically lash out when in a bad temper.
• Sadness: Babies and toddlers form feelings of sadness because of being separated from the caretakers, loss of a toy or a disappointment. It seems they might cry, avoid certain things or seek reassurance.
• Anxiety: This type of anxiety is called the Separation Anxiety and is common in toddlers. A child may shows signs of distress if separated with the parents or the other close relatives.

It is therefore important to understand these feelings, and how your toddler may be experiencing them in order to help him the right way.

Potential Variables for Emotional Development in a Toddler

Several factors contribute to a toddler’s emotional development:

• Temperament: There are significant contributions of basic temperament to emotional reactions on a toddler. Some children can be serene from birth and some of them can be fussy or moody by their nature.
• Attachment: Close relationship between parents and their children is supposed to foster healthy emotional development. Attaining a secure attachment makes sure that toddlers have a secure base from which they can work through their feels.
• Environment: Culturally responsiveness not only contributes to student’s academic achievement but it also promotes their mental health. It also encompass routine and predictable schedule, rules and regulation and socialization.

In the same way behavior problems, spending a lot of time in front of the TV may have negative effects on a toddler’s emotion. Every now and then it is fine to let children watch a little television or play a computer game but they should not become preoccupied with screens.

Common Challenges in Toddler Emotional Growth

Although experiencing various emotions in their everyday lives, toddlers still share some common emotional issues that confront both the child and the parent. Knowing all of these can aid you in dealing with it without getting easily frustrated or irritated.

Tantrums and Meltdowns

Ah, the dreaded tantrum! It’s practically a tradition, for youngsters to throw temper tantrums (and their mothers too). These are usually caused by stress, as when a child gets caught up with work that requires a lot of hand use, or when he or she is hungry or simply bored of having to be restrained most of the time. It’s very important to understand that they are a usual occurrence during the toddler age, despite their extreme difficulty sometimes to control.

Tips for Managing Tantrums:

• Stay Calm: Well, this may just be easier said than done, although that’s where the saying ‘stay calm’ comes from anyway. Often your toddler mimics and so if you remain calm, your child will follow your example and the situation will cool down.
• Acknowledge their Feelings: Make your toddler feel that you appreciate his/her feelings and allow him/her to feel that he/she is annoyed. Things like, “I understand you are sad because you wanted to have this toy,” are good examples to describe to the child what you see.
• Offer Choices: Authorities recommend allowing your toddler to have some control because it will empower him or her. Make decisions for them and give them two options to choose from such as ‘Do you want to wear this red shirt or this blue shirt?’
• Create a Distraction: In some instances, it’s best to just get your mind off things and do something else completely. Take away the object and replace it with another or look for another toy.
• Avoid Giving In: This might mean you give in to their temper even though you do not want to so that they do not have a meltdown as this only encourages them that this is a good way to act.

Please bear in mind that temper tantrums are basically a form of communication a child has on his or her repertoire. Hence, it is crucial to comprehend toddler emotions and regarding them with compassionate consistency healthy for your toddler’s emotional development.

Separation Anxiety

Another developmental problem in toddlerhood is separation anxiety. Separation anxiety is known developmental phase where children are unhappy when with anyone other than their parents or guardians. This can result in crying, clinging or held against ones will and or not letting go.

Strategies for Easing Separation Anxiety:

• Practice Short Separations: Gradually, one should try short absences, leave the room for ten-twenty minutes at the beginning.
• Establish a Goodbye Routine: Establish a routine of how your toddler is disposed off, for instance, hugging and kissing will help the toddler to feel comforted.
• Provide a Comfort Object: It also needs a favorite blanket, or a favorite toy which gives the comfort of your presence when I am not here.
• Reassure Your Toddler: Inform your toddler that you be back and that you do love him or her.
• Stay Positive: Remember positivity for when it is time to say your goodbyes. Bear in mind that your toddler will also be able to realize the state of your emotions.

Social and Emotional Issue

As toddlers start to interact with others, they may face social and emotional challenges such as:

• Sharing: It becomes even challenging for toddlers because they are at a learning stage of sharing and developing their own personalities.
• Taking Turns: This is because whenever they are eager to play, they have to wait for their turn as their turn as the next players.
• Managing Impulses: As children grow, they may become moody, or they may have behavioral issues like impulsiveness leading to instance hitting, biting, or grabbing.

Guidance for Social-Emotional Development:

• Model Positive Behavior: Help your toddler to learn how to share things, to share a toy or a playtime with somebody, and how to express herself.
• Provide Opportunities for Social Interaction: The instances include playdates, preschool, or trips to parks to gain skills in dealing with fellow human beings.
• Use Positive Reinforcement: It is important that you also reinforce your toddler during a positive social behavior through praising her.
• Set Clear Limits: Make sure your toddler understands that it is wrong to hit, bite or use any other aggressive forms of communication.
• Teach Problem-Solving Skills: Support your toddler’s emotional skills and teach him or her to describe what he or she is feeling and discuss different ways to manage those feelings.

If these challenges are approached with patience and understanding, there is a good chance that a strong and healthy emotional development of your toddler will be stimulated.

Nurturing Your Toddler’s Emotional Growth

Also, you have a great responsibility as a parent to help your toddler develop his or her emotional health. Done correctly, you can raise confident and healthy children and such care creates a loving and healthy atmosphere.

Building a Secure Attachment

This is how the theory of attachment security is important to the formation of one’s personality. It’s the permanent attachment that child has towards their parent responsible for the child’s care and well-being.

Tips for Strengthening the Parent-Child Bond:

• Respond to Your Toddler’s Needs: Ensure that your toddler gets enough fluids, enough physical activity and has someone to play with when tired. Pay attention to when they cry and try to soothes them when they are fussy and say things that will make them feel better when they are afraid.
• Spend Quality Time Together: Spend quality and as much time as possible with your toddler despite his young age. Have story time together and read books, engage in games, sing or just snuggle.
• Show Affection: Say ‘I love you’ often, hug your partner, and kiss him or her.
• Be Consistent: Stay on schedule and have clear rules. This makes your toddler feel secure in his or her environment.

Strategies for interaction with others

This book is about how to connect with your toddler and learn about their emotions and how best to support them.

• Active Listening: Your toddler would also develop some speech and language and you should listen carefully to what the child wants to convey. Bend down to their level, look directly into their eyes and use anatomization to affirm their anger.
• Validate Emotions: This is especially important when your emotions are not so good; let your toddler understand that it is okay to have negative feelings. This way when you say it is acceptable to be angry but not alright to hit then they get the message that it is alright for them to feel what they are feeling but there actions are not acceptable.
• Use Age-Appropriate Language: The fact of the matter is you should avoid using big words and complicated phrases that your toddler may not comprehend. Do not burden them with lot of details and explanations.
• Label Emotions: Ensure your toddler get to recognize, understand and be able to express his or her feelings. For instance, you can ask a question like, “You look like you do not want to go home early, are you? Or, “You look unhappy that we have to leave the park now.” This assists in their feeling’s awareness.

Building an Effective Social Environment

Perceived social support is accorded self-evident importance in managing emotional health.

• Safe and Predictable: Establish the kind of environment that your toddler can be comfortable with in and around the house. These are; child safety at home, schedule and expectations and finally, safety measures and expectations.
• Consistent Routines: Schedules add structure and order, which gives the toddler’s, a sense of security in their lives. Parents should set regular time of having meals, naps and bedtime for the kid.
• Clear Limits: Boundaries and rules ensure the child has expectations they can meet thus enabling the Toddler to know what is expected of him/her. This renders them secure and shape self-control among them. This renders them secure and shape self-control among them.
• Opportunities for Play: It is imperative that play is incorporated into a child’s developmental program in order to support the more advanced emotional development which is associated with it. Encourage your toddler to play pretend by him or herself and also play with other children.

When using such approaches, it becomes possible to foster an environment that will promote emotional well-being of your toddler.

When to Seek Professional Help

Parents easily related to the emotions that most toddlers experience and there are moments which it is good to seek the assistance of a professional. If you notice any of the following signs, consider reaching out to a child psychologist or therapist:

• Persistent Tantrums or Meltdowns: However, if your toddler has lots of temper tantrums often of highest level, that is a clear indication that there is an issue.
• Extreme Separation Anxiety: If your toddler goes into a frenzy of panic when you remove him or her away from you even for a short span of time then he or she could be a classic candidate of separation anxiety disorder.
• Difficulty with Social Interactions: If your toddler is having communication difficulties with other children, does not know how to make friends, has aggressive behaviors, consulting a professional is useful.
• Regression in Behavior: If your child starts developing some behaviors that were outgrown before yet they are observed again it’s an indication that the child is upset.
• Changes in Sleep or Appetite: It’s also important to remember that changes in your toddler’s bedtime or eating habits may be more than just behavioral issues.
• Excessive Fears or Worries: In case your toddler has severe fear or concern that hamper his/her daily activities, then you should consult a doctor.

Resources for Finding Professional Help:

• Your Pediatrician: Another way of getting a qualified child psychologist or a child therapist is through your child’s pediatrician.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Currently, there is link to resources and information about child mental health on the AAP website.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): The CDC has links to the developmental documents and any publications concerning the development of a child to parents.
• MentalHealth.gov: This website provides a list of mental health services and products.

So always bear in mind that whenever you are consulting a professional, you are the stronger person. The effects of early intervention can be felt on your toddler and therefore it needs to be realized.

What Every Parent Should Know: Key Takeaways

Communicating with a two-year-old is a big ride full of giggles, crying and much more. Here are some key takeaways to remember:

• Toddler Emotional Development Stages: There are several particular stages of the emotional development of toddlers which are primary emotions, and the child starts to experience them at the age of twelve months: joy, sadness, anger; at the age of two years: empathy, guilt.
• Individuality: In every two toddlers, one is special in that, depression differs from one child to another, and the way it develops is independent of the other.
• Parental Support: Father figures in particular need to provide love, understanding and support for your toddler’s emotional need.
• Effective Communication: Cognitive milestones such as talking about feelings and emotions and being receptive to other people’s emotions make you attend to your toddler’s emotional health.
• Creating a Safe Haven: The process of learning how to express oneself makes a toddler happier; the safe, predictable environment facilitates that.
• Seeking Support: If you have some questions about the emotional development of your toddler, do not hesitate and consult with a specialist.

Parenting a toddler is full of fun some times and struggles at other times as the article suggests. In this article, you will learn about toddler emotional development and how you can support your child’s emotional success by simply loving them and giving them stability and care that they deserve to become strong, emotionally balanced person.

Conclusion

Recognizing the emotional development in your toddler is an information sharing process that is a continuous one. Love your toddler for what he/she is, appreciate the highs and the lows and ensure he/she knows that no matter which way he/she leans, you will support him/her. Make sure that you always remind them that you are their safe haven, their compass and their loudest cheerleader.

Later on as your toddler develops, different feelings will emerge, come and go, and become more complex. Remain interested and remain involved, but above all, remain linked. That attachment will be what enables their emotional health throughout their formative years, not to mention well into the toddler years.

Do you know any other moms or dads who may need this information? Please feel free to share this post as we love helping and educating parents. Oh and they are an important thing to remember, there is always one thing in common everyone has, we are not alone. We’re all in this together!

References:

• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): https://www.aap.org/
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/
• Zero to Three: https://www.zerotothree.org/
• Child Mind Institute: https://childmind.org/