Emotional

• Emotional development is the way an individual begins to feel about and value themselves and other people. This forms the basis of emotional literacy and empathy. Emotional development begins with attachments which an infant formsto their main caregiver. If a child forms a strong attachment to their main caregiver, it can help to ensure a positive self-image and good self-esteem.
• Emotional literacy - the ability to recognise, understand and appropriately express emotions. Emotional literacy is essential for forming positive social relationships.
• Empathy - the ability to identify with or understand another's situation or feelings,

  'walking a mile in someone else's shoes.
• Attachment - a strong emotional connection between a child and caregiver.
• Self-image - the way an individual sees themselves, their mental image of themselves.
• Self-esteem - how a person feels about themselves, self-worth or pride.
• Key features of emotional development throughout the lifespan:

  
• Key features of emotional development throughout the lifespan:

  
• Attachment to caregivers:

  A secure attachment to a main caregiver means that a child will feel secure, loved and have a sense of belonging.
• Attachment to caregivers:

  Caregivers are the secure base from which children explore the world around them. They are protectors and help the child to feel happy, secure and confident. It is important that parents ensure that children have the physical, mental and emotional nourishment to develop healthily. Secure attachments in childhood lead to happier and healthier attachments with others in the future.
• Attachment to caregivers:

  If there is a lack of a healthy attachment, then a mistrust of caregivers or adults in authority could develop. Insecure attachments can lead to behavioural issues, a lack of ability to receive affection or manipulative behaviour. Children may not develop the secure base necessary to cope with life events.
• Self-concept (sense of identity) - an awareness formed in early childhood of being an individual, a unique person and different from everyone else.
• Theories of attachment

  John Bowlby refers to attachment as a deep and enduring emotional bond that connects a child to their primary caregiver.
• His attachment theory originated during the 1930s. While working as a child psychiatrist treating many emotionally disturbed children, Bowlby began to consider a child's relationship with their mother. Bowlby linked the importance of social, emotional and cognitive development to the relationship that the child had with their mother. He believed that children were biologically preprogrammed to form attachments and that infancy is a critical period for forming positive attachments. This led Bowlby to consider problems associated with early separation from the primary caregiver.
• Working with James Robertson, Bowlby observed that children experienced separation anxiety, an intense distress, when separated from their mothers. The child's distress and anxiety did not disappear even when they were being fed by another carer. Bowlby suggested that attachment could be understood as evolving from the caregiver providing safety and security for the infant. According to Bowlby, infants have a universal need to seek close proximity with their caregiver when under stress or feeling threatened.
• Critics argue that Bowlby oversimplified his theory. Rutter argues that maternal deprivation in itself may not result in long-term problems. He suggests that privation is far more damaging. Privation happens when children have not had the opportunity to form attachments or have poor quality attachments caused by a lack of social or intellectual stimulation. While Bowlby believed that attachment is a natural, biological process, others suggest that it is learned behaviour influenced by factors such as the environment, culture and/or the baby's temperament.
• Research by Schaffer and Emerson suggests that babies are most likely to form attachments to caregivers who respond effectively to their signals. This is not necessarily the person they spend the most time with. This is referred to as sensitive responsiveness. The most important factor in forming attachments, therefore, is not the adult who feeds and changes the baby but the adult who plays and communicates with them.
• Deprivation - being deprived of a caregiver to whom an attachment already exists.
• Privation - being deprived of the opportunity to form an attachment.
• Separation anxiety - the fear and apprehension that infants experience when separated from their primary caregiver.
• Schaffer and Emerson’s sequence of attachment:

  
• Stranger anxiety - when an infant becomes anxious and fearful around strangers.
• Parenting is one of the most important factors affecting children's development. The way in which parents feel about their child and how they form a relationship with them is crucial. Babies need strong attachments in order to be emotionally and socially well developed. Children with good attachments are likely to have more confidence, higher self-esteem and are, therefore, less likely to show clinginess and demanding behaviour. However, there are several factors that can affect the attachment process and impact on a child's overall development.
• Attachment may not go smoothly because of:

  
• The development and importance of self-concept:

  Positive self-esteem is an important part of emotional wellbeing. Self-esteem involves both self-confidence and self-acceptance.
• In children, self-esteem is shaped by what they think and feel about themselves. Children who have high self-esteem have an easier time in relationships, resisting peer pressure, making friends and handling conflicts. Children with a positive self-esteem have a generally optimistic view of the world and their life in general. Babies and infants can achieve a growing sense of self and a positive self-esteem through the attachments which they develop with their main caregivers.
• Development of self-esteem:

  
• By the time a child reaches the age of four, positive self-esteem is reinforced by what the child can do successfully and independently, and also by the feedback they receive from their carers. Parents and carers can help to foster a child's self-esteem by teaching problem-solving skills. They should also include children in tasks that provide a sense of accomplishment, asking children for their opinions and introducing children to social settings. Parents can also encourage young children to accept failure as well as success, seeing it as a learning experience and not a negative process.
• Children with low self-esteem can become passive, withdrawn and depressed. These children have difficulty dealing with problems, are very self-critical and speak negatively about themselves. Factor which impact on children's self-esteem is they may be experiencing difficulties at school. There could be stress at home, sibling rivalry or parents arguing. Children facing these problems become pessimistic about themselves and life in general. They can become easily frustrated and see temporary problems as permanent issues.
• The physical and emotional changes which occur during puberty and adolescence can present new challenges to young people. Fitting in with peer groups and gaining acceptance is very important. This is a period when young people can learn from their own mistakes and take responsibility for their own actions. .
• Effects on adolescence:

  Self-esteem can become fragile and may change from day to day. Many teenagers become overly concerned about their physical appearance and how they are viewed and accepted by their peers.

  Body image is an essential part of a young person's self-esteem. Young people who have a poor body image, who think they are fat, not pretty enough or not muscular enough, can experience low self-esteem
• Self-esteem is not fixed and may fluctuate through the life stages. In adulthood, the factors that impact on self-esteem may change. Career development and other personal achievements will increase a person's self-worth while stress and life events that are difficult to cope with can result in lack of confidence and negative self-esteem.
• Definitions and factors involved in developing positive or negative self-image:

  Self-image is the mental picture, a personal view that an individual has of themselves.

  In other words it is like an internal dictionary which describes an individual's characteristics,
• Self-image is determined in early childhood by the quality of social interaction and the influence of parents or caregivers. A parent who makes positive comments about a child's appearance in a consistent way lays the foundations for a positive self-image.
• If a parent either ignores a child or constantly makes negative comments then this can impact on the way the child begins to see and think about themselves. Experiences with other people, teachers, family and friends can reinforce what we think and feel about ourselves. For example, if a young person is being made fun of and bullied because of the way they look, then this can lead to physical and psychological problems.
• An individual's self-image can be a real or distorted view of who they actually are. It does not necessarily reflect reality. Feelings about image can become internalised and affect how an individual acts.
• During adolescence, physical appearance becomes particularly important because young people have to come to terms with changes in their body shape and sometimes unwanted physical characteristics, such as acne. The media often portray an ideal image of the female and male figure in advertisements. Self-image is more than what an individual looks like or how other people see the individual. It is also how a person thinks, feels and reacts to self-perceived physical attributes.
• Self-image can also be affected by life events and social roles. These influence how others see us and how we define ourselves. Roles such as learner, parent or member of a football team not only help others to recognise the status of an individual but also provide guidelines for behaviour. Life events, roles and status influence personal traits that can also be an important part of self-image.
• Understanding self-image is very important because it explains how an individual thinks about themselves and how they interact with other people and the world around them. A positive self-image can enhance physical, social, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.