Emotional Development
4 – 6 year olds
General Emotional Patterns

4 year olds
 Assert independence
 Self-centered
 Impatient
 Defiant
 Boastful
 Argue more often
 Bossy
General Emotional Patterns

4 year olds, cont.
 Loving and affectionate
 Need and seek parental approval
 Enjoy people laughing at their jokes
 Dislike people laughing at their mistakes
 Important for them to “no longer” be seen as “a
baby”
 Difficult phase of emotional development
General Emotional Patterns

5 year old
 Quieter period of emotional development
 Practical
 Sympathetic
 Serious
 Realistic
 Enjoy slapstick humor
General Emotional Patterns

5 year old cont.
 Carry on discussions
 Ask meaningful questions
 Conform to rules more easily
 Adult criticism is very hard for them
 Patient
 Persistent
 Generous and conscientious
General Emotional Patterns

6 year old
 Stubborn
 Quarrelsome
 Resent directions (they know everything)
 Center of their own universe
 At their worst w/their own parents
 Rapidly changing moods
General Emotional Patterns

6 year olds cont.
 Love and hate; accept and reject; smile and
storm – for NO apparent reason
 Learn to appreciate humorous situations and
jokes
 Faced w/ the task to find their status outside the
home
 Crave praise and approval
 Easily hurt and discouraged
Specific Emotions


Self – confidence
 Improves w/the accomplishment of new tasks
 Success at facing unfamiliar situations
 Develop initiative – motivation to accomplish
more
Anger
 4 year old – physical fighting, lasts longer,
often threaten and attempt to “get even”
 5 year old – more likely to hurt feelings of
others than physcially
 6 year old – more stinging words, tease, insult,
nag and make fun
Specific Emotions

Fear
 They have well developed imaginations
 Sensitive and insecure children are more prone
to fears
 Help overcome fear by:
 Accept the fear
 Allow expression of fear w/out ridicule
 Ability to face the fear by talking or acting
out
Specific Emotions

Jealousy
 Sibling rivalry is common at these ages
 Parents cannot show favoritism
 May take the form of:
 Tattling
 Criticizing
 Lying
 Nail-biting
 Bed-wetting
 tantrums
Children and Stress
Children lead stressful lives
 Worry about everything
 1 in 3 children suffers from severe stress
 May cause:
 Stomachaches and headaches
 Moodiness and irritability
 Trouble eating or sleeping

Children and Stress

Handling stress
 Find the cause
 Give chances to get rid of tension
 Read books about the issue
 Maintain normal limits on behavior