EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDHOOD

PRIYANKA MAJUMDER

Introduction:- Emotional development is a gradual process that helps children understand the world around them and manage their emotions in a way that creates positive and meaningful relationships with others. It's fascinating to see how the study of emotional development has evolved over the years, with researchers realizing that emotions are not just a minor part but also one of the main aspects of development in early childhood. Moreover, emotional development provides a unique perspective on lifespan development, combining neurobiological and socio-cultural factors. It's interesting to see how developmentalists are now exploring the link between emotional development and psychopathology, looking at how troubled child-parent relationships, temperamental differences, coping strategies, and gene-environment risk factors can affect a child's emotional development. Emotional development is a complex phenomenon that influences all aspects of human development. After childbirth, respectively, the emotions start to appear. In this way, the development of momentum respectively is called emotional development. Under the process of emotional development, the nature of one's emotions moves from simple to complex respectively. Managing and regulating emotions is a crucial aspect of emotional development. As children grow older, their emotions become more stable and balanced. Social development and beliefs shape emotions as people age. Normal emotional development is vital for an individual's overall personality development. The following factors affect the emotional development of a child:- 1. Physical health:-  Physical health affects emotions. In children who are strong and healthy, their emotional stability is higher than for weak and unhealthy boys. According to Crowe and Crowe, "A child's health is closely related to his emotional reactions." 2. Mental development: ------- In talented children, greater emotional control is observed than in those with lower cognitive development, indicating a correlation between emotional stability and sufficient cognitive development. 3. Fatigue:-------  Fatigue affects emotional development. When the child is tired, he quickly succumbs to anger and irritability. 4. Family environment:-------  The children of the family whose members are highly financially sensitive also become sensitive. Similarly, if the family's environment remains cheerful, pleasant, and peaceful, the child experiences complete security and emotional development in a balanced manner. 5. Parents' behavior:--------  The behavior of parents has an impact on the emotional development of their child. When parents ignore their children or excessively pamper them without giving them the freedom to work independently, it can lead to undesirable emotional development in the children. 6. Social recognition:- ----- According to Crowe and Crowe, "If the child does not get social recognition of his actions, then there is excitement or relaxation in his emotional behavior." For example, if a child creates a poem on their own, but the community dislikes it, the child may experience frustration and disappointment. 7. Economic condition:------  Children from underprivileged families often feel envious when they see the extravagant lifestyle of children from wealthy families. 8. Desire:------  Every child has a desire. If someone aspires to become a poet, doctor, or engineer, unfavorable circumstances and unfulfilled desires may lead a child to despair. This frustration is the father of emotional tension.  9. School environment:------  After family, school is the place that affects the feelings of the children the most. The child expresses emotions through various actions. If school activities are organized based on a child's interests, desires, and expressions, they can experience joy and excitement, resulting in healthy emotional development. Conversely, if there is an atmosphere of terror, fear, and prejudice in the school, then the children suffer from excitement, anger, and hatred. Emotional Development in Infancy The emotional behavior of infants becomes more pronounced and definite over time, according to Skinner and Harriman. The general direction of development of his behavior ranges from uncertain and vague to specific. The following are the characteristics of the emotional development of an infant - At birth, babies do not have any distinct emotions. They only experience excitement. The baby is excitedly crying, screaming, and flailing their hands and feet. During their first three months of life, babies can experience various emotions, such as excitement, pain, and happiness. At six months of age, babies start to express emotions such as fear, hatred, and anger. A one-year-old baby begins to experience joy and affection. By age two, most emotions have developed; by five, they impact the environment. The baby's emotional behavior is unstable. Offering chocolate stops crying. As the baby grows, their behavior becomes more stable. Initially, the infant experiences intense emotions, which gradually subside. At birth, a baby's emotions are indistinct, but over time they develop clarity. Emotional Development in Childhood   In a child's early years, their emotional stability established expression of emotions developed in infancy becomes more apparent during childhood. During this stage of development, children start to cultivate a sense of collectivism and can manifest feelings of love, hatred, malice, and competition towards their friends. They also gain more control over their emotions, including fear and anger. The school environment can significantly impact a child's emotional development. Schools with a healthy atmosphere of freedom and positive traditions foster emotional growth in the right direction, while oppressive and harsh environments can have a negative effect. At this stage, children have enough emotional poise to avoid teachers whom they don't consider appropriate from appearing before their teachers and parents. Emotional Development in Adolescence Adolescence is a period of significant emotional changes. Teenagers often struggle to manage and regulate their emotions effectively. Emotions like love, kindness, anger, and sympathy can become more intense and unstable during this time. For instance, witnessing someone being sad may trigger strong emotions, and witnessing atrocities could lead to anger. Adolescents often struggle to manage their changing emotions during the transition to adulthood. When individuals struggle to cope with their feelings and the world around them, they may become frustrated. This disappointment sometimes leads him to run away from home and sometimes to suicide. In this stage, there is a rapid development of sexual activity in adolescents, due to which they affect emotional behavior. They start daydreaming and spend most of their time wandering in Kalpana Loka. Teenagers' emotional development is influenced by various factors, with certain conditions encouraging growth and negative ones leading to disappointment.   Conclusion:-   Children and adolescents possess emotional competencies that can effectively cope with certain situations and develop positive characteristics such as self-efficacy, pro-social behavior, and supportive relationships with family and peers. Furthermore, emotional competence is a protective factor that helps reduce the negative impact of various risk factors. Research has isolated individual attributes that may exert a protective influence, several of which reflect core elements of emotional competence, including skills related to reading interpersonal cues, solving problems, executing goal-oriented behavior in interpersonal situations, and considering behavioral options from an instrumental and an affective standpoint.

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