A Mother’s Worry: How Early Years Impact a Teen’s Future
Welcome back to Building Bridges for Early Childhood, a blog to support both families and educators in supporting children. This week we are going to talk about a very important topic, one that sits with me as an educator and a parent. Let’s first meet Sarah, and her son Jack…
Imagine a mother, Sarah, sitting in her car outside her son’s high school on a sunny afternoon. She’s watching him walk out of the school building, laughing with his friends, his backpack bouncing as he strides confidently across the parking lot. To an outsider, he seems like any other teenager—social, happy, and full of promise. But Sarah knows this confidence didn’t just appear out of nowhere. She remembers the sleepless nights when her baby son, Jack, struggled to settle, and the months of her own uncertainty, wondering if her little one would ever be able to cope with the ups and downs of life.
As Jack grew, she saw him face challenges—difficulty sharing toys at daycare, struggles with managing his emotions during playdates, and those hard moments when he just couldn’t seem to regulate his frustration in public. But Sarah, like so many parents, provided the steady, supportive environment Jack needed. She made sure he felt safe, loved, and understood, even on his tough days. She spent hours reading with him, playing pretend games, and teaching him to talk through his feelings.
Today, as she watches him walk toward her, Sarah reflects on those early years and how much they shaped Jack’s ability to navigate the social and emotional challenges of adolescence. It’s clear that the emotional resilience he has now—his ability to handle stress, form healthy relationships, and express his feelings—was nurtured in those foundational years.
Sarah’s story is not unique. Countless parents and caregivers face similar concerns, wondering how their child’s early experiences will affect their ability to cope as they grow older. The truth is, those early years lay the groundwork for a child’s social and emotional growth, impacting everything from self-regulation to how they interact with others throughout their lives.
In this week’s blog, we’ll dive into how early development influences emotional health in adolescence, key milestones to watch for at different stages, and practical strategies that can empower both families and educators to support children in developing strong social and emotional skills.
The Impact of Early Development on Adolescent Social and Emotional Growth
Adolescence is a time of huge social and emotional growth, but the truth is, this growth doesn’t just happen overnight. It’s deeply rooted in the early experiences children have—starting even before birth. The care and support a child receives during infancy, toddlerhood, and early childhood lay the groundwork for emotional resilience, strong social skills, and overall well-being in later years. Early experiences in infancy and toddlerhood significantly affect emotional regulation and social competency throughout life (Taylor & Francis Online, 2023). In this blog, we’ll explore how early development influences emotional health, key social-emotional milestones, and practical strategies that educators and families can use to support children at every stage.
The Importance of Early Development and Care
The first few years of life are critical in shaping a child’s ability to build relationships, manage their emotions, and navigate the social world. Even before birth, prenatal factors like maternal stress, nutrition, and substance exposure can affect brain development, influencing emotional regulation and behavior later on. Research indicates that prenatal maternal distress has a long-lasting impact on offspring's socioemotional development, highlighting the importance of a stress-free pregnancy for emotional health (PubMed Central, 2023). Once a child is born, early experiences like secure attachments, loving caregiving, and opportunities for social interaction play a huge role in helping them build confidence, empathy, and emotional control. On the flip side, neglect or trauma in these early years can make it harder to form healthy relationships and manage emotions as they grow (Taylor & Francis Online, 2023).
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Across Key Developmental Stages
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is a journey that unfolds over time. Let’s break down some of the key milestones children hit at different stages of development:
Infancy (0-1 year)
Milestones:
Forming strong attachments with caregivers (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2004)
Expressing emotions through facial expressions and sounds (like smiling, cooing, or crying)
Engaging in early social interactions, such as making eye contact and imitating others
Toddlerhood (1-2 years)
Milestones:
Beginning to assert independence and explore their world
Showing early signs of empathy, like comforting others (Thompson, 2006)
Engaging in parallel play with other children
Early Childhood (3-8 years)
Milestones:
Participating in cooperative play and starting to develop friendships
Demonstrating improved emotional regulation (like using words instead of tantrums) (Eisenberg, Spinrad, & Eggum, 2010)
Understanding basic social rules, such as taking turns and sharing
Supporting Social-Emotional Growth in the Classroom
The strategies educators use at each developmental stage can make a real difference in how children build social and emotional skills. Here are a few approaches that can help children thrive:
Infancy (0-1 year)
Responsive caregiving: Engage in warm, attentive interactions that build trust and emotional security (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2004).
Sensory play: Provide soft textures, soothing music, and gentle touch to help infants develop comfort and self-soothing abilities.
Toddlerhood (1-2 years)
Emotion labeling: Help toddlers identify and express their feelings through simple language and picture books (e.g., “You look happy when you see your toy!”) (Thompson, 2006).
Simple choices: Offer toddlers options like “Do you want to play with blocks or color?” to encourage independence while minimizing frustration.
Early Childhood (3-8 years)
Role-playing and storytelling: Encourage pretend play to teach empathy and conflict resolution (Eisenberg et al., 2010).
Classroom routines: Consistent routines provide stability and help children practice self-regulation.
The Importance of Self-Regulation
Self-regulation—managing emotions, behaviors, and impulses—is a critical skill for success in school and beyond. When children can calm themselves after frustration, wait patiently for a turn, or adapt to new situations, they’re building the foundation for healthy relationships and academic success (Blair & Raver, 2015). Research has shown that children who develop strong self-regulation skills early on are better equipped to handle the social and emotional demands of adolescence (Taylor & Francis Online, 2023).
How Teachers Can Model Self-Regulation
Emotion coaching: Help children recognize and manage their emotions by naming feelings and offering coping strategies (e.g., “I see you’re frustrated. Let’s take a deep breath together.”) (Gottman et al., 1997).
Mindfulness activities: Incorporate calming techniques like deep breathing or quiet reflection to foster emotional awareness and control.
Clear expectations: Set consistent rules and use visual cues to guide positive behaviors.
Strategies for Families
Parents and caregivers play a huge role in reinforcing emotional skills at home. Here’s how you can support your child’s social and emotional growth in everyday life:
Infancy (0-1 year)
Respond to your baby’s cries and cues with warmth, singing, and cuddles to build a strong emotional bond (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2004).
Use facial expressions and soothing tones to model emotional responses.
Toddlerhood (1-2 years)
Encourage problem-solving by allowing toddlers to make simple choices in their daily routines.
Use simple emotion words to help toddlers understand and express their feelings (Thompson, 2006).
Early Childhood (3-8 years)
Teach self-regulation through techniques like deep breathing, counting to ten, or using a “calm-down space.”
Promote social interactions by setting up playdates and group activities that encourage teamwork and sharing (Eisenberg et al., 2010).
By understanding how early experiences shape a child’s emotional development, educators and families can offer the support needed to help children grow into emotionally resilient and socially competent individuals. With the right tools and a nurturing environment, children can build a strong foundation for positive relationships, confidence, and well-being—both during their teenage years and throughout their lives.
Final Thoughts:
There are times when a child is struggling to make progress in social emotional development. When this happens it is very important to get early care and support. There are steps that both families and educators can take.
For Families:
Action: Seek Professional Guidance and Support
If your child is struggling to develop social-emotional skills, it’s important to seek support from a professional such as a pediatrician, child psychologist, or therapist. Early intervention can help identify any underlying issues, such as anxiety, trauma, or developmental disorders, that may be affecting their emotional growth.
Why: Professionals can offer targeted interventions, such as therapy or specialized techniques, that can help your child build the necessary skills to manage emotions and interact with others more effectively.
What You Can Do at Home: In addition to professional support, you can continue to foster a safe and supportive environment at home. Maintain open lines of communication with your child, practice emotional coaching (naming feelings and teaching coping strategies), and provide consistent routines that help them feel secure.
For Educators:
Action: Collaborate with Support Services and Implement Targeted Strategies
When a child is struggling with social-emotional development in the classroom, it’s crucial for educators to collaborate with school counselors, special education teams, or child development specialists to assess the child’s needs and create a personalized plan for support.
Why: A multidisciplinary approach ensures that the child’s needs are met from different angles and that there is consistency between home and school in addressing the issue.
What You Can Do in the Classroom: Implement individualized strategies such as:
Emotion regulation techniques: Use visual cues, emotion charts, and calming strategies (like deep breathing) to help the child manage their emotions in real-time.
Social skills training: Create structured opportunities for the child to practice skills like sharing, turn-taking, and conflict resolution through role-playing or small-group activities.
Regular check-ins: Monitor the child’s progress and provide positive reinforcement for small successes to encourage growth.
In both settings, patience and consistency are key. While progress may be slow, sustained effort combined with professional support can lead to significant improvement in a child’s social and emotional development over time.
Thank you for joining me today. I do hope that you were able to learn something new. Next week, we will discuss Executive Functioning and its role in learning, from tapping a pencil to running around a classroom.
References
Blair, C., & Raver, C. C. (2015). Closing the achievement gap through child development: Implications for early education. Developmental Psychology, 51(1), 4-19. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038336
Eisenberg, N., Spinrad, T. L., & Eggum, N. D. (2010). Emotion regulation and its relation to social functioning in early childhood. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 75(2), 1-25.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5834.2010.00577.x
Gottman, J. M., Katz, L. F., & Hooven, C. (1997). Meta-emotion: How families communicate emotionally. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Morris, J. L., & Hays-Grudo, J. (2020). Early childhood trauma and its impact on social and emotional development. Child Development Perspectives, 14(2), 82-88. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12330
National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2004). Children’s emotional development is built into the architecture of their brain. Working Paper No. 2. Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University.
PubMed Central. (2023, September 13). Differential effects of prenatal psychological distress and positive maternal psychological functioning on offspring socioemotional development. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30355555/
PubMed Central. (2023, October 13). Effects of prenatal stress on behavior, cognition, and psychopathology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30212312/
Taylor & Francis Online. (2023, July 25). Young adolescents' perspectives on peers' social and emotional competence. Journal of Adolescence, 73, 28-41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2023.03.004
Taylor & Francis Online. (2023, April 26). Supporting social-emotional development in early childhood. Early Child Development and Care, 193(5), 710-725. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2023.1891321
