Social and emotional development at 2 months of age
  • Begins to smile at familiar faces
  • Attempts at self-soothing (for example, sucking the thumb or hand)
  • Tries to look at parents
Social and emotional development at 4 months of age
  • Smiles (without prompting) at other people
  • Enjoys playing and may cry when play stops
  • Tries to imitate facial expressions such as smiling or frowning
Social and emotional development at 6 months
  • Recognizes familiar faces
  • Begins to recognize if someone is a stranger
  • Enjoys playing with parents
  • Often appears happy
  • Reacts to others' emotions
  • Likes to look at themselves in the mirror
Social and emotional development at 9 months
  • Fear of strangers (can distinguish familiar faces; begins to sense "stranger danger")
  • Clingy with familiar adults
  • Attachment to favorite toys
Social and emotional development at 12 months
  • Begins to act shy or nervous around strangers
  • Cries when parents or caregivers leave
  • Identifies favorite toys or people
  • Shows fear in certain situations
  • Brings book to parents or caregivers to listen to a story
  • Imitates sounds or movements to get attention
  • Extends arms or hands to help with dressing
  • Begins to play social games (such as peek-a-boo or pat-a-cake)
Social and emotional development at 18 months    
  • Shows fear of strangers
  • May begin to throw tantrums to express frustration
  • Begins to show open affection to familiar people…
  • Enjoys giving items to others for social play
  • Begins to play pretend games like feeding a teddy bear or doll
  • Clings to parents or caregivers in new social settings
  • Points to objects to show interest
  • Starts to explore alone (with parents nearby)
Social and emotional development at 2 years
  • Mimics parents and older children
  • Gets excited to see other children
  • Starts to show more independence
  • Starts to show defiant behavior
  • Plays independently alongside other children
  • Include other children in games like "Chase"
Social and emotional development at 3 years
  • Mimics adults and friends
  • Starts to show affection to friends
  • Plays games that involve taking turns
  • Shows concern for a crying friend
  • Begin to understand the concept of "mine", "yours", "his" and "hers"
  • Expresses a range of emotions
  • Separates from parents more easily
  • May get upset by major changes in routine
Social and emotional development at 4 years
  • Learns to cooperate with other children
  • Likes to try new things
  • Gets creative with fantasy (playing “mom,” “dad,” “princess,” or tea parties)
  • Enjoys sharing tastes and interests
Social and emotional development at 5 years
  • Enjoys being like friends
  • Enjoys praise and being the center of attention
  • More agreeable with rules (can resolve some frustrations without tantrums)
  • Enjoys singing, dancing, and acting
  • Shows sympathy for others
  • Begins to understand gender
  • Demanding at times, but more cooperative than ever.
  • Demonstrates greater independence in play
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1.
Gerber RJ, Wilks T, Erdie-Lalena C. Developmental Milestones 3: Social-Emotional Development. Pediatrics in Review [Internet]. 2011 Dec 1 [cited 2018 July 5];32(12):533–6. Available from: http://pedsinreview.aappublications.org/cgi/doi/10.1542/pir.32-12-533