This section of the site aims to explain you Emotional Development Milestones achieved by your toddler in his second year.
Every baby is individual with a unique personality. Ensuring that all of the physical needs of your baby are met really helps his emotional development at this stage.
Emotional Development Milestones for toddlers 12 to 16 months
By now close attachments have been formed to a parent, close relative or caregiver. In this secure environment your baby will develop emotionally well and strong. Babies who are cherished, cuddled and kissed learn, by example, how to pass on similar expression of positive emotion to others.
I still remember my son feeding his teddy bear one day the way I do and brushing his hair and holding him in his hands making him sleep. All this gives me satisfaction that I’ve provided a secure and loving environment to my son, which he can pass to his soft toys as well.
You will see your baby expressing his joys and sorrows more, and many times through their soft toys. My son when scolded by me, used to tell his teddy same what I repeated. Then he used to bring his teddy and say “Sorry” to me or ask me to say “Sorry” if I was unreasonable.
Somehow I found this let out of emotion using his teddy quite healthy. He even shares his happy moments with teddy as well, as soon as he gets a new toy. He brings that toy to his teddy and showed him, opened in front of him and then played with him. At one time it seemed that teddy was his good friend.
Emotional Development Milestones for toddlers 16 to 20 months
At this stage, your child knows what pleases you and will try different behaviour to see what your reaction is. This can aid you in disciplining your kid, by giving specific feedbacks for desirable behaviour and ignoring anything that displeases you.
Becoming Independent
Even though your toddler is quite happy to be independent of you in a group, just occasionally checking your presence, but there may arise a situation when he needs reassurance. As a result he may be little more clingy, but that’s natural. Give your toddler reassurance that he needs. Don’t get overprotective: it’s a phase and will pass.
Playing with other children
At this stage, his interactions with other children are limited, and although he will enjoy being around other children of similar age, any playing he does is in parallel rather than interacting with them.
He may smile at other children, and love to watch them play, also imitating them, especially is they are slightly older children. I still remember when my son used to go to park, he will always play cricket with a group for five minutes, just to make sure that he can hit the boll with his bat like others.
Emotional Development Milestones for toddlers 20 to 24 months
Learning to think about others takes a long time, but as your toddler becomes more self-aware, physically and then emotionally, he will begin to extend his feelings about himself to others.
Loving family members create the emotional security that allows your toddler to consider the feelings of other people. I still remember, one day I was quite upset and was crying when my little angel came, hugged and kissed me, and asked me to smile, trust me I was feeling quite better and realized I’ve got someone to share my feelings apart from my husband.
Managing Feelings
Feelings can now be expressed in variety of ways and learning how to manage them, especially in a group, is the beginning of your child’s Social Development. Your child’s inability to handle overwhelming feelings may result in an unacceptable behaviour towards other children.
At this point, they need your support and understanding, apart from your guidance on how to behave in a group, which will come naturally with time once, you start going to groups regularly. To understand this better refer to this article “Art of Comforting”.
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