Amanda Price

Emotional intelligence begins early. Babies experiences a wide range of emotions as they interact with others and navigate the world and its daily challenges. And somewhere between 2 and 3 years of age, they begin categorizing and labeling these emotions. Check out this little one, shown here at 26 months, demonstrating her basic understanding of 9 different emotions in a little over 30 seconds. It’s pretty obvious that she lives in a home where feelings not only matter - but are discussed. When we help young children label their emotions, we’re doing more than expanding their vocabularies. We’re helping them to make connections between their feelings and behaviors, giving them tools to begin analyzing and regulating their own emotional state. Importantly, as young children come to understand their own emotions they also begin to recognize these emotions in others, leading to the development of empathy. How can you help? Label and discuss your child’s emotions and your own. This emotionally aware little one was shared to TT by jules_james_.