1. Chapter 14 14.1- Emotional Development from Four to Six
14.2- Social and Moral Development from Four to Six

2. Section 1- Emotional Development from Four to Six
Chapter 14
Section 1- Emotional Development from Four to Six

3. Emotional Patterns
Independence is the one characteristic that marks most clearly the emotional development of this age group.

4. Emotional Development 4 Year Olds
Still very self-centered
Defiant, impatient, loud, and boastful
Want to see themselves as separate from parents or caregivers
Vocabulary and language skills show clear improvements
Test out new sounds of language or making up words
Using rude words to see how adults will react
Big imagination
Typically has a hard time separating reality from fantasy

5. Emotional Development 5 Year Olds
Begin to view themselves as a whole person (with a body, mind, and feelings)
Eager to explore the world but may be fearful of unfamiliar people, places, and experiences
Age when kindergarten begins
May experience anxiety or stress
Emotionally impulsive
They try to wander around, talk, and play whenever they want
In school they learn to control these impulses
Empathy is shown more for others
Empathy is the ability to understand how someone else feels

6. Emotional Development 6 Year Olds
Period of emotional turmoil or a state of extreme confusion
Some are in school for the full day
Trouble finding their role outside the home
Crave praise and approval
Stubborn and quarrelsome
Try to please others only to get praise for themselves
May resent being given direction
Rapid mood changes
Love, hate, reject, and accept, smile, and rage
Stronger feelings of happiness and joy

7. Specific Emotions: Anger
Changes the most out of any emotion
Show angry freely without restraint
Biting, kicking, and hitting
Preschoolers are less likely than toddlers to express their angry with physical violence
4 Year Old: angry episode lasts longer, may use physical violence, or threaten and attempt to get even
5 Year Old: more likely to hurt other children’s feelings than to hurt them physically
6: Year Old: even more hurtful with words; they tease, insult, nag, and make fun of others

8. Specific Emotions: Anger
Frustration is a major cause of anger
Children’s tolerance for frustration increases with age
Earlier frustrations are eliminated as skills improve
Disagreements with other children are the most common cause of anger
Most quarrels are verbal and loud, 5 and 6 year olds begin to conceal and disguise their feelings
Methods of revenge are indirect
Some take out anger on a scapegoat; sibling, parent, toy, etc.
Criticism can also cause anger
May cause a child to act out because of their feelings being hurt

9. Specific Emotions: Fear
Imagination is a major emotional force in children from 4 to 6
Many of their fears center on imaginary dangers
Fears of ghosts, thunder, lightening, the dark, being left alone
Some children fear stem from school
Afraid of being criticized by a teacher or teased by others
Here are some ways to deal with it
Accept the fear
Let the child express the fear without ridicule
Help the child feel able to face the fear

10. Specific Emotions: Jealousy
Sibling rivalry is jealousy of brothers and sisters and is common during this period
Children express feelings of jealousy through tattling, criticizing or lying
Some may react by boasting
Parents can help children work through feelings of jealousy by encouraging cooperation and empathy
Avoid taking sides and give children a chance to work on their own problems

11. Specific Emotions: Worry
Tension is another word for emotional stress
A child’s imagination contributes to the stress that they experience
Children may also develop physical symptoms of worry
Stomach aches, headaches, and sleeping problems
Children may cry, scream, or throw temper tantrums
Children may also express tension by biting their nails, swinging their legs, or grinding their teeth
Ways to reduce stress for children
Look for the cause
Give children time to calm down
Provide chances to get rid of tension
Read a book about the issue causing stress
Maintain normal limits on behavior

12. Self-Confidence Self-confidence is belief in one’s own abilities
Initiative is the motivation to accomplish more
Preschoolers start taking initiative
According to Erik Erikson, children that do this gain self- confidence
Repeated discouragement can lead to feelings of inferiority or inadequacy
Children in this age see things as all or nothing
Best way to help preschoolers with self-confidence
Showing respect
Offering praise
Planning activities
Encouraging individuality

13. Section 2: Social and Moral Development
Chapter 14
Section 2: Social and Moral Development

14. General Social Patterns
As children enter preschool and kindergarten they need to learn new social skills
How to interact with new people
How to make friends
How to work and play in organized groups
Take direction
Accept authority from someone outside the home
A peer is someone close to one’s own age
Children must refine their social skills to interact with their peers

15. 4 Years Old Form friendships with their playmates
Spend more time in cooperative play
Play in groups of 3 or 4
Can take turns and share
Bossy and inconsiderate so fights may occur
Family is still most important

16. 5 Year Olds More outgoing and talkative Play in groups of 5 or 6
Play is more complicated
Fights break out less
If fights occur, a 5-year old will result to name-calling and wild threats
More respect for others belongings
Social acceptance by peers is more important
5-year olds are more concerned about what their friends say and do
Start to gossip about other children
Typically it is about who they consider a friend or who has the best toys

17. 6 Year Olds Social relations are often classified by:
Friction, threats, and stubbornness
Jealousy of others toys may occur
Best friends at this age are typically the same sex although play at this age is in mixed groups
They have no regard for team effort
If they are tired of playing a game, they will often just up and leave without “formally quitting”

18. Family Relations Family relations change during this age group
Feel close ties to home and want to feel important in the family
The are proud to help with chores
Sibling rivalry

19. Moral Development
Moral development are the beliefs about what is right and wrong
Beginning to understand the reasons behind rules
They start developing a conscience
An inner sense of right and wrong that guides peoples behaviors and judgments
What they learn about moral development during this stage stays with them for life

20. Guidelines for Moral Development
Set clear standards of behavior
Teach children reasons for the rules
Respond to inappropriate behavior
Deal with problems immediately
Talk about mistakes in private
Children this age do not like to be criticized
Understand that children will test the limits
This is a sign they are understanding the correct behavior
Consider the child’s age and abilities
It is a lifelong task to learn self- discipline
Praise their steps in the right direction
Continue to show love despite misbehavior

21. Handling Lying Children often confuse stories for real life
Most of the time lies are not deliberate deceptions
Adults can help by showing them they see the difference
“ I will listen to your story but then I want to know what really happened.”
Sometimes a statement that sounds like a lie is really a misunderstanding
“I did what you told me” – a child here may believe the task is done when then adult considers it unfinished
Help children separate fact from fiction

22. When are Lies Deliberate?
To get attention
To avoid punishment
To please others and not risk losing love
When dealing with a child who is lying:
Does the child know that what he said is not true?
Why might the child be lying?
Do you need more information about the situation?
Is the child asking for more attention?

23. Model Moral Behavior Model it in everyday actions
Moral behavior is a learned behavior
Influence of peers increases as children spend more time away from home
Language and speech patterns are picked up during this age
They notice that friends families may live by different rules
Television, movies, and other media also influence what children learn
Parents need to be aware of what their children are watching
Some shows may depict values that your family does not live by

24. Resolving Conflict Preschoolers might resort to aggressive behavior
Aggressive behavior is hostile and at times destructive that people display when face with conflict
Hitting, biting, pushing, and forcibly taking objects away from others are examples of aggressive behavior

25. Suggestions for Resolving Conflicts
Urge children to talk about their feelings
EX: When Carla’s father heard her lash out at her friend Erin, “I hate you, you’re ugly,” he sat her down and asked them to talk about how they were feeling. Carla admitted she was mad because Erin used up the markers
Acknowledge the efforts of children to resolve conflicts
Model appropriate behavior

26. Competition
Competition is rivalry with the goal of winning or outperforming others
Some say children benefit from competition because it stimulates individual efforts and promotes higher standards
Helps children gain a realistic view of their own abilities in relation to others
Shows them how to be a graceful loser