Expressing Feelings

Your Baby Learning How to Express Himself

Through repeated experiences and emotional support, your baby's brain is becoming wired in a way that lets him understand how he feels, identify and describe those feelings, and decide how he will show and act on them. This is his emotional intelligence. By 12-18 months, his emotional intelligence and Expressing Feelings abilities have developed to the point where he'll smile when he sees a familiar friend, take pride in accomplishments, or show reluctance to do something he doesn't like. Temper tantrums may become more common by now, and it's important to deal with them calmly, acknowledging his feelings but letting him know that physical and disruptive outbursts are not acceptable.

Has your baby achieved the following Expressing Feelings developmental milestones yet? If yes, check off all the skill(s) he has already mastered to date!