This area of development involves learning to interact with
other people, and to understand and control your own emotions. Developing the
ability to control your emotions and behavior is also a long process. Children
continue to develop their social-emotional skills well into their teenage years
or even young adulthood.
The following are some of the typical developmental
milestones for children 4-5 years of age.
- Show some awareness of moral reasoning, such as “fairness”, and good or bad behavior
- Develop friendships
- Express more awareness of other people’s feelings
- Enjoy imaginative play with other children, such as dress up or house
- Better at sharing and taking turns with other children
- Enjoy playing games, but might change the rules as he goes
- Stick with a difficult task for longer period
- Controlling frustration or anger better
- Listen while others are speaking
Red Flags
- Not interested in playing with other children
- Not able to share or take turns with other children
- Dependent on caregivers for everything
- Extremely “rigid” about routines, and becomes extremely upset when things are changed
- Extreme difficulty separating from you
- Is too passive or fearful, and does not want to try things other same age children are doing
- Has extreme fears that interfere with daily activities
If you notice any of these by the time your child is 5 years
old, you may want to talk to your doctor, or another health professional such
as a mental health clinician, a speech-language pathologist, an occupational
therapist, or a psychologist.
