15.6: Caregiver Role in Emotional Regulation

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Amanda Taintor

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Caregivers and Regulating Emotions

Responsiveness to infants' signals contributes to their development of emotional regulation (Zaar, n.d). Young infants have minimal capacity to adjust their emotional states and depend on their caregivers to help soothe themselves. By 4 to 6 months, babies can begin to shift their attention away from upsetting stimuli (Rothbart et al., 2006). Older infants and toddlers can more effectively communicate their need for help and crawl or walk towards or away from various situations (Cole, Armstrong & Pemberton, 2010). This aids in their ability to self-regulate. Temperament also plays a role in children's ability to control their emotional states, and individual differences are noted in the emotional self-regulation of infants and toddlers (Rothbart & Bates, 2006)[1].

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Standing toddler covering eyes. ([2])

[1] Child Growth and Development by Jean Zaar is licensed CC-BY-NC

[2] Image by Nina Kuchkovskiy is licensed CC: BY-NC