Articles - Emotional Development

Getting to know about emotional development means increasing our understanding of feelings and the labels we give to them which identify a specific feeling as a certain type of emotion. Such knowledge is vital because feelings lie at the heart of human ‘connectedness’ and relationships. Our first awareness of our selves and of others is built on the double platform of the kind of feelings we have when we are with someone else and those we have within ourselves.

One of the first things we have to recognise is that understanding and ‘managing’ our emotions has a developmental progression just like any other aspect of development. Babies and very young children have strong, simple feelings but don’t know how to deal with them – they need us to help them. Even as we get older, we still can have feelings that can overwhelm leaving us either feeling helpless and vulnerable or bringing us such joy that we are unable to speak!! Perhaps remembering these occasions will also help us recognise the difficulties that young children have when they are overwhelmed far more easily and frequently by their feelings! It can be seen therefore that understanding emotional development is also crucial to understanding behaviour. After all what is ‘behaviour’ but the outward expression of our feelings, thoughts and understanding of the meaning we give to our moment –by- moment experiences?

We must also recognise that our emotional health or well being underpins our sense of self, levels of confidence and our ability to make friends, work alongside others, levels of motivation, persistence and willingness to change, adapt and learn. In other words, it is the quality of our emotional world arising from our experiences that combines with our innate temperament and genetic make up to form much of what it means to be a unique human being. The increasing emphasis that is being placed on emotional and social development in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in both the Primary and Secondary Schools curricula plays testimony to the growing recognition of the importance of emotional well being.