Babies begin to recognize emotional expressions around the age of 6 months, facilitating their understanding of uncertain situations through social referencing. As they grow, children develop language skills that allow them to verbalize their feelings, albeit imperfectly, demonstrating emerging emotional awareness. Despite this progress, many children, particularly those with executive function challenges, may struggle to regulate their emotions, especially under stress. Implementing daily emotion check-ins during transitions can help bolster children’s awareness of their internal experiences, fostering healthier emotional development over time.
When you comfort your crying baby or smile during play, you're showing them their feelings matter and that others will respond.
Milestones can be helpful guides, but remember that many children struggle with emotion regulation, especially when they're tired and/or hungry.
Infants begin recognizing emotional expressions around 6 months, which helps with social referencing—looking at parents' faces to understand uncertain situations.
Daily emotion check-ins during transitions help children build awareness of their internal experiences.
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