Social Emotional Skills are help us interact with other people around us, and are important predictors of long-term success. But how do you know if your child is on track? Check out our guide to the development of social emotional skills to see what to expect at different ages.
Social Emotional Skills by Age
| Under 12 Months | Begins following gaze of caregiver, looking from something interest to caregiver, and demonstrating different facial expressions |
| 12-18 Months | Starts pointing to make requests and demonstrate interest, plays with caregivers, begins to develop empathy |
| 18-30 Months | Tries to do things without help, pretend play begins, plays similar activities near peers, meltdowns are common |
| 30-48 Months | Beginning to develop impulse control, may test limits, more complex pretend play, beginning to take turns and share toys with help, beginning to follow simple rules in games |
| 4-5 Years | Shows awareness of concepts like “fair” and “good” or “bad” behavior, develops friendships, expresses more awareness of others’ feelings, improved ability to share, take turns, and play games with simple rules, able to stick with difficult tasks for longer |
| 5-6 Years | Follows simple rules and directions, spends more time with peers, more complex imaginative play |
| 7-8 Years | Demonstrates increased understanding of rules as well as increased competitiveness, developing more coping skills, enjoys exploration of new ideas and activities, can differentiate between fantasy and reality |
| 9-10 Years | Strong interest in peer and friend groups, increased independent decision making, need a balance between autonomy and rules |
All kids develop skills at different times and have different strengths and weaknesses. However, if you have any concerns about your child’s social emotional skills, please contact us to see how we can help!