Today Tile Triggered Content

Have you noticed your toddler becoming aware of their emotions and beginning to use words to describe some of them? You may hear them start to say how they feel; this can be helpful for your toddler, as it helps them to regulate their emotions.  

Emotions can be very powerful for toddlers, as can the feelings that come with them.  

Does your child seem to be shy, embarrassed, guilty or proud now, is this something you haven’t noticed before?  

You might feel a bit concerned if your confident, lively child seems to be becoming shy or embarrassed – maybe you’ve been wondering if something has changed or if you need to do something quickly in response to this change. What you might be noticing is an important part of your child’s development as they become more self-aware.

Your child demonstrating what are described as ‘self-conscious emotions’ shows that they are taking another step in their development.  

Does your child have a toy or object that has to go everywhere with them? We’ve met children with attachments to blankets, soft toys and even kitchen utensils and vegetables. Not all children have these objects, and researchers suggest that the reason for this is a combination of nature and nurture. For example, they found attachment objects were more common among children who slept in their own room from being babies.^[1] Whether or not your child has a favourite that travels with them at the moment, you might find it useful to learn more about what 'transitional objects’ are and how they can be useful for coping with change as your child grows 

The term ‘transitional object’ was introduced by paediatrician and psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott in 1951, to describe the blankets, bits of fabric and toys that children became deeply attached to early in childhood. Winnicott suggested these objects supported children as they developed their sense of themselves as a separate individual, rather than as linked to their mother as one unit.^[2]