Babies
(0 – 1 Months)
• Baby is adjusting to life outside the womb
• Crying is a normal
• Needs to feel calm, safe and have a routine |
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2
- 3 Months
• Showing a wide variety of feelings and expresses
emotions through smiles frowns, body movements, gurgling
and cooing
• Comforted by being fed and cuddled
• More settled – beginning to settle into
a more regular routine and happy to be changed
• Recognises familiar people and likes to smile
at them |
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4
– 6 Months
• Beginning to show fear around unknown people
• Able to laugh and make happy sounds
• Calmed when picked up and on hearing familiar
voice |
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6
– 12 Months
• Strong reaction to strangers and clings to
parent.
• May start to resist when not happy to do something
• Enjoys attention
• May soothe him/herself with familiar toy or
thumb sucking
• Emotional expressions are increased to include
fear and sadness. |
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12
– 18 Months
• Beginning to show negative emotions and may
resist naps, refuse some foods and may have tantrums
• Begins to understand turn taking games
• Needs comfort and reassurance from parents/carers
• Afraid of being apart from carer and cry when
they see carer leave. |
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Two
Years
• Shows extreme behaviour - dependent/interdependent,
very aggressive/calm, and helpful/stubborn.
• Gets angry when stopped doing something that
is unsafe
• Temper tantrums are common and tends to cry,
scream, kick, bite and can be rough with other children
• Needs parent/teacher/carer to tell him what
is right and wrong
• Easily distracted because of short attention
span
• Has little concept of sharing – plays
alone alongside other children
• Likes routine and any changes are upsetting
• Beginning to show feelings of sympathy, pity
and pride and aware of praise and smile
• Becoming more independent
• Afraid of noises, trains, thunder and flushing
toilets. Separation from parent, especially at bedtime
is still frightening
• May be able to hold picture of loved one in
mind which will help child to cope with separation from
main carer (18 months – 3 years)
• Fear of strangers decreasing |
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Three
Years
• Play is the main activity of this stage and
is important in the development of identity and confidence
• Demonstrates a balance of happiness and contentment
• Continues to be self-centered and may feel responsible
for everything that happens
• Vivid imagination and can have imaginary friends
• Ability to bargain but not to reason
• Distraction techniques still work
• Less frustrated and angry
• Fear of dark remains and may have fear of moving
objects and fear of being abandoned by parent |
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Four
Years
• Enjoys jokes and silly games and loves showing
off
• Play still very important
• Can still demonstrate stubbornness, aggression,
kicking, biting and blaming others for their naughtiness
especially older siblings
• A sense of past/future developing
• Fear of dark continues
• May compete with parent of same sex for attention
of parent of opposite sex
• Needs parent for support and reassurance |
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Five
Years
• Becoming more independent and can be serious
and realistic at times
• Demonstrates anger by slamming doors and stamping
of feet and verbally by saying ‘I hate you ‘.
• Friendly & talkative to strangers
• May worry that something might happen to a parent
while the child is not there and parents will not be
available to them when needed
• Protective and kind towards parents, younger
child or pet
• Becoming less frustrated and less angry |
