This area of development involves learning to interact with other people and to understand and control your own emotions. Babies start to develop relationships with the people around them right from birth, but the process of learning to communicate, share, and interact with others takes many years to develop. Developing the ability to control your emotions and behavior also referred to as self-regulation, is a developmental process. Children continue to develop their social-emotional skills well into their teenage years and even into young adulthood.
See clearly within 13 inches from her face and she will most enjoy her caregiver's face!
Be comforted by a familiar adult when held, talked to, or sung to
Respond positively to touch and quiet when picked up - being held regulates the nervous system and helps the baby calm
Listen and look towards voices
Smile and show pleasure in response to social stimulation such as being smiled at, sung to, and snuggled
Give warm smiles and laughs
Recognize faces of familiar people and start noticing the difference among caregivers
Cry when upset and seek comfort - crying is a signal that baby needs something
Show excitement by waving arms and legs - often referred to as "anticipatory excitement"
Smile at herself in the mirror
Enjoy looking at other babies
Pay attention to her own name
Laugh outloud
Express several different clear emotions such as joy, fear, frustration
Play games like Peek-a-boo, "so big," and other familiar games
Show displeasure at the loss of a toy by crying, frowning, showing frustration with her body
Respond to you when you talk to her or make gestures
Start to understand your different emotions (for example, your baby might frown when you speak in an angry tone of voice)
Show more comfort around familiar people, and anxiety around strangers - commonly known as "stranger anxiety" - this shows that baby is most comforted by a known caregiver and is attached to the caregiver
Possibly comfort herself by sucking thumb, or holding a special toy or blanket
Show happiness to see her parents’ face, her toys, or a mirror
Know strangers from his family, and cry when his parent goes away
Give affection and love by hugging, wrapping arms around caregiver when held, smiles, kisses
Pay attention to simple commands such as "no" and "give it to me"
Respond by turning to look when you call her name
Imitate some of your actions (e.g. waving, pretending to talk on the phone)
Have fear with new situations
Understand the word “no”, but will not always obey
Recognize herself in the mirror or photograph and smile or make faces at herself
Begin to say ‘no’ to caregiver requests - a sign of emerging independence
Imitate adults’ actions and words (e.g. chores)
Understand words and commands, and respond to them
Hug and kiss parents, familiar people and pets
Bring things to “show” other people
Begin to be helpful around the house
Begin to feel jealousy when she is not the center of attention
Show frustration easily
May play next to another child, but will not really share until 3 or 4 years of age
Be able to play alone for a few minutes
React to changes in daily routines
Develop a range of emotions (may have tantrums, show aggression by biting, etc)
Start to assert independence by preferring to try do things “by myself”, without help
Be assertive about what he wants, and say no to adult requests
Start to show awareness of her own feelings and others’ feelings
Show more fear in certain situations (e.g the dark)
Possibly become frustrated easily
Want independence, but still need security of parents
Need an ordered, predictable routine (ie: when saying good-bye to parents) and can begin to follow social norms and routines
Watch other children in play, and join them briefly
Defend his possessions
Begin to engage in more complicated play with themes of daily living - playing “house"
Begin to separate more easily from parents
Begin to show empathy to other children (respond to their feelings)
Citation: www.zerotothree.org
MSU Extension - Building Early Social Skills
CS Mott Children's Hospital Parenting Guide
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