{"h1":"When Do Toddlers Develop Emotional Skills?","faq":[{"a":"Yes. Tantrums are a normal part of emotional development around 18–36 months — your toddler feels strongly but can't yet calm down alone. Your steady, calm presence is exactly how they learn to regulate over time.","q":"Is it normal for my 2-year-old to have big tantrums?"},{"a":"Many toddlers show clear affection — hugs, snuggles, joy at seeing you — from around 12–15 months, and it deepens through the second and third years.","q":"At what age do toddlers start showing affection?"},{"a":"Consider a gentle developmental check if your child consistently shows no shared joy or smiles, doesn't seek comfort when upset, or loses warmth they previously had. A clinician at a Pinnacle centre can reassure or guide you.","q":"When should I be concerned about my toddler's emotions?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"at-what-age-should-a-child-emotional","title":"When Do Toddlers Develop Emotional Skills?","entity":{"key":"emotional","kind":"skill","name":"emotional","slug":"emotional"},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent / Family","value":"parent"},{"kind":"age","label":"Toddler","value":"toddler"},{"kind":"domain","label":"Emotional","value":"emotional"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Milestone","value":"milestone"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Screen","value":"screen"},{"kind":"route","label":"Book-Assessment","value":"book-assessment"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Early Clarity","value":"early_clarity"},{"kind":"ability","label":"Emotional","value":"emotional"},{"kind":"assessment","label":"Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, 2nd Ed","value":"brief2"},{"kind":"language","label":"English","value":"en"},{"kind":"sdg","label":"SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being","value":"3"},{"kind":"skill","label":"emotional","value":"emotional"},{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"ASHA / PHC / Frontline","value":"asha_phc"},{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Therapist / Clinician","value":"therapist"}],"parent":{"key":"skills","label":"Skills"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"when-do-children-usually-emotional","title":"When Do Children Become Emotional?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-emotional-milestones-should-my-12-to-18-month-old-have-reached","title":"Emotional milestones for your 12-to-18-month-old"},{"lang":"en","slug":"at-what-age-should-a-child-social-emotional-understanding","title":"At What Age Does a Child Develop Social-Emotional Understanding?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"at-what-age-should-a-child-emotional-understanding","title":"When does a child develop emotional understanding?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"at-what-age-should-a-child-emotional-expression","title":"When Should a Toddler Show Emotional Expression?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-emotional-milestones-should-my-18-to-24-month-old-have-reached","title":"Emotional milestones for your 18-to-24-month-old"}],"summary":"Emotional skills (ICF b152) unfold gradually between 12 and 36 months — affection, shared joy, tantrums, comfort-seeking, and the early, adult-supported start of calming down. There is no single milestone age; toddlers regulate feelings with your help, not alone. Persistent absence of shared joy or comfort-seeking across settings is worth a gentle developmental check.","answer_md":"*Your toddler's big feelings — the giggles, the tears, the proud little grins — are emotional development unfolding right on time.*\n\n## In short\nEmotional skills (ICF b152, the regulation and range of feelings) grow steadily between **12 and 36 months**. There is no single \"should\" age — instead, watch for a gradual unfolding: showing affection, sharing feelings, copying your moods, and slowly learning to calm down with your help. Big tantrums in toddlerhood are normal, not a red flag.\n\n## How emotions typically unfold (12–36 months)\n- **Around 12–15 months** — shows affection to familiar people, may be wary of strangers, looks to you to gauge how to feel (\"social referencing\").\n- **Around 18 months** — points to share excitement, may have tantrums, hugs a doll or toy, seeks comfort when upset.\n- **Around 24 months** — shows defiance, notices when others are hurt or upset, begins simple pretend play with feelings.\n- **Around 30–36 months** — names a few feelings, shows pride, takes turns with support, and starts (with your help) to settle big emotions.\n\nA toddler this age cannot yet manage feelings alone — co-regulation with a calm adult *is* the skill at this stage.\n\n## The science\nEmotional regulation is built through thousands of warm, responsive moments. When you name and soothe feelings, you wire the brain's regulation pathways. Variation is wide and normal; persistent flatness, no shared joy, or no comfort-seeking across settings is worth a gentle check.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nDevelopmental measurement supports care planning; diagnosis requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. under qualified clinician care — this article is for guidance, not diagnosis. Explore [emotional development](/emotional), see how an [AbilityScore® is calculated](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated), or learn about [child development therapy](/child-development-therapy).\n\n## Trusted sources\nAligned with the WHO ICF framework (b152, emotional functions), CDC \"Learn the Signs. Act Early.\" milestones, and AAP/HealthyChildren guidance on toddler social-emotional growth.\n\n**Next step —** if you'd like reassurance or a developmental check, message the Pinnacle team on WhatsApp at +91 91001 81181 for a friendly screen.\n\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/at-what-age-should-a-child-emotional","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/at-what-age-should-a-child-emotional","lang":"en","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"skills","label":"Skills"}],"meta_title":"Toddler Emotional Milestones: Age Guide","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Name feelings out loud as they happen — \"You're cross the tower fell, that's hard.\" Naming and soothing teaches your toddler that big feelings are safe and manageable.","published_at":"2026-06-10T14:10:00.215102+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"signs","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"when-do-children-usually-emotional","title":"When Do Children Become Emotional?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-emotional-milestones-should-my-18-to-24-month-old-have-reached","title":"Emotional milestones for your 18-to-24-month-old","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"at-what-age-should-a-child-emotional-expression","title":"When Should a Toddler Show Emotional Expression?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"at-what-age-should-a-child-emotional-understanding","title":"When does a child develop emotional understanding?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-emotional-milestones-should-my-12-to-18-month-old-have-reached","title":"Emotional milestones for your 12-to-18-month-old","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"at-what-age-should-a-child-social-emotional-understanding","title":"At What Age Does a Child Develop Social-Emotional Understanding?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"could-difficulty-with-emotional-be-a-sign-of-a-developmental-delay","title":"Could difficulty with emotions be a sign of developmental delay?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-it-normal-that-my-toddler-is-not-yet-showing-emotional","title":"Is It Normal My Toddler Isn't Showing Emotions Yet?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-it-mean-if-my-child-is-not-yet-showing-emotional","title":"Is My Toddler Not Showing Emotional Skills Yet?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-signs-suggest-my-child-may-need-support-with-emotional","title":"What signs suggest my child may need support with emotional skills?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-a-caregiver-what-should-i-do-if-a-child-in-my-care-is-not-yet-showing-emotional","title":"If a child in your care isn't showing emotions yet","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"by-what-age-is-a-child-usually-expected-to-emotional-and-what-should-a-teacher-expect-in-class","title":"Emotional development: what teachers can expect by age","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Recognise signs & concerns","total":15},{"key":"assess","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-amber-zone-for-emotional-what-does-that-mean","title":"What an Amber Zone for Emotional Development Means","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-emotional-what-does-that-mean","title":"Emotional Red Zone Meaning","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-a-clinician-assess-and-track-a-child-s-progress-in-learning-to-emotional","title":"Assessing & Tracking a Child's Emotional Progress","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Understand assessment","total":3},{"key":"therapy","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-a-teacher-support-a-child-working-on-emotional","title":"How a Teacher Can Support a Toddler's Emotional Skills","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-therapy-helps-a-child-learn-to-emotional","title":"Therapy that helps a toddler learn emotional skills","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-amber-zone-for-emotional-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Emotional Amber Zone — Your Next Steps","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-green-zone-for-emotional-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Emotional Green Zone — What to Do Next","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-emotional-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Emotional red zone — your next steps","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-a-therapist-what-techniques-help-a-child-develop-the-ability-to-emotional","title":"As a therapist, what techniques help a child develop emotional skills?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-a-teacher-support-a-student-who-is-still-learning-to-emotional","title":"How can a teacher support a student learning emotional skills?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-should-a-therapist-prioritise-a-child-who-is-in-the-amber-zone-for-emotional","title":"Prioritising the amber-zone child for emotional development","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Explore therapy & support","total":8},{"key":"home","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-help-my-child-with-learn-to-emotional-at-home","title":"How can I help my toddler learn emotional skills at home?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-one-everyday-therapy-activity-to-help-my-child-with-emotional","title":"An Everyday Activity to Support Your Toddler's Emotional Skills","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-a-caregiver-how-can-i-gently-help-a-child-practise-learning-to-emotional-during-everyday-routines","title":"Helping Your Child Practise Emotional Skills at Home","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"At home & in everyday life","total":3}],"what_to_watch":"Gently check in if, across home and other settings, your toddler shows no shared joy or smiles, doesn't seek comfort when upset, seems consistently flat, or loses social warmth they once had.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov/child-development","label":"CDC: Learn the Signs. Act Early. milestones"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP HealthyChildren: toddler social-emotional development"},{"url":"https://icd.who.int","code":"b152","label":"WHO ICF emotional functions (b152)"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T14:10:00.215102+00:00","meta_description":"When should a child show emotional skills? A warm 12–36 month guide to affection, tantrums, shared joy and comfort-seeking — and when to check.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}