Emotional development reflects social experience and how children start to understand what they are feeling. It is the development of being able to be emotionally expressive, manage and express emotions, and react to what is happening in the world around them. As children grow and develop, their experiences help to shape how they control these emotional behaviors. Emotion regulation which is the ability to effectively manage and respond to an emotional experience is an important aspect of the child’s emotional competence and over time children learn to exert control over their emotions.
THE IMPORTANCE OF EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT THEORY
The James-Lange theory is one of the best-known examples of a physiological theory of emotion that suggests emotions occur because of physiological reactions to events. According to James-Lange's theory, witnessing an external stimulus leads to a physiological response, basically, an emotional reaction depends on how you interpret physical reactions. In the Early Childhood years, children are in their developmental stages where understanding their emotions is a skill they slowly accomplish. However, with experience and guidance, as adults, we can help young children better understand and manage their emotions. This is important for development and well-being, especially during the childhood phase. Instead of implementing punishment as a way of teaching "good behavior", strategies that will enable emotional intelligence may be more effective. A child’s ability to understand and manage emotions develops over time so providing continued guidance and support may be effective. For instance, labeling emotions helps young children recognize and understand what they are feeling and gives them insight into how to manage those emotions.
Strategies to help Families at and at home.
Encourage Play
Play improves young children's emotional well-being by helping them decompress big feelings in a safe and fun way. Strategies like limiting screen time and encouraging young children to be more physically active will help them regulate their emotions more easily. For instance, taking them to the local community park may foster this form of emotional regulation as they have the opportunity to freely explore the world around them rather than being impulsive. Research shows that action supports learning and adds more ways in which children grow and develop (Li, 2018) as well as helps them to be better regulated emotionally.
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