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Behaviour Therapy
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Signs & concerns
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Signs & concerns
4-Year-Old Social Development
Most 4-year-olds play cooperatively, love pretend games, want friends, talk about their feelings and seek approval — though a little shyness or temperament-based caution is completely normal. A gentle developmental check is wise if your child shows little interest in other children, doesn't pretend-play, rarely shares smiles or eye contact, or seems to have lost skills they once had. This is reason to look early, not a diagnosis — early support at this age works beautifully.
Read the answer AnswerIs my 5-year-old developing normally emotionally?
Most 5-year-olds are learning to name feelings, recover from upsets, show empathy and play cooperatively — so meltdowns, new fears and clingy days are typical. Consider a developmental check if intense meltdowns, withdrawal, persistent fear, or big trouble with friendships and changes persist across home and school over months. These are reasons to ask, not a diagnosis — early support works beautifully at this age.
Read the answer Answer5-Year-Old Social Development
Most 5-year-olds play cooperatively, make friends, take turns, share, follow game rules and enjoy pretend play with others — with a wide healthy range of temperaments from bold to shy. A developmental check is wise only if your child shows little interest in other children, can't connect or play cooperatively, or this travels with delays in talking or play. This is reassurance and a decision guide, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerEmotional Development at 6–9 Months
Between 6 and 9 months, most babies smile and laugh with familiar people, show clear feelings, prefer their parents and may begin to show stranger awareness — a healthy sign of attachment. There's a wide normal range. Seek a developmental check if your baby rarely smiles or shares joy, isn't soothed by you, shows very limited eye contact or expression, or has lost social warmth. This is reassurance and early observation, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerIs My 6-to-9-Month-Old Developing Normally Socially?
Between 6 and 9 months, most babies become wonderfully social — smiling at familiar faces, babbling back and forth, enjoying peek-a-boo, turning to your voice and sometimes turning shy with strangers. There is a wide healthy range, so a single late skill is rarely a worry. A gentle developmental check is wise if, by 9 months, your baby rarely makes eye contact, doesn't smile back, doesn't respond to their name, or shows little interest in faces and play. This is reassurance and early opportunity, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer Answer6-Year-Old Emotional Development
At six, most children are learning to name feelings, calm down with help after upsets, show empathy and bounce back from disappointment — though meltdowns and big reactions are still completely normal. Emotional growth is uneven, so a wide range is healthy. A gentle developmental check is wise only if distress is intense, frequent and very hard to settle, or if it interferes with friendships, learning or family life. This is reassurance, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer Answer6-Year-Old Social Development
By six, most children make friends, play cooperative games with rules, take turns, read basic emotions and care about fairness — within a wide, normal range that includes quieter, shyer temperaments. Seek a developmental check if your child consistently can't connect with peers, manage turn-taking or game rules, has very frequent intense meltdowns, or seems unaware of others' feelings. This is reassurance and guidance, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer Answer9–12 Month Emotional Development: What's Normal
At 9 to 12 months, healthy emotional development means your baby seeks comfort from you, shows joy with familiar people, may become wary of strangers (a sign of strong attachment), and shares looks and sounds. A gentle developmental check is wise only if your baby rarely seeks comfort, seldom smiles or shares looks even when settled, or has lost a skill — these are reasons to observe, not a diagnosis. Early support at this age is gentle and effective.
Read the answer Answer9-to-12-Month Social Development
At 9 to 12 months, social development follows a wide, healthy range — most babies share smiles, enjoy peekaboo, respond to their name and look to you for reassurance. A gentle developmental check is wise if your baby rarely makes eye contact, doesn't respond to their name, shows little interest in social games, or has lost a social skill. This is a reason to look early, never a diagnosis, and most often brings reassurance.
Read the answer AnswerNewborn Emotional Development
In the first three months, emotional development is about comfort and connection, not a formal test — being soothed when held, gazing at faces, responding to your voice, and the first social smile around 6–8 weeks. We nurture and observe at this age. Mention it to your doctor if your baby is very hard to console, shows no social smile by 10–12 weeks, or you simply feel something is off.
Read the answer AnswerIs my newborn developing normally in social skills?
In the first weeks, social development is quiet and simple — turning to your voice, brief face-gazing during feeds, and calming when held. The true social smile usually appears around 6–8 weeks, so its absence in a newborn is completely normal. There is nothing to diagnose at this age; this is the gentle beginning of connection. Mention it to your paediatrician only if your baby never reacts to sound, makes no eye contact by 4–6 weeks, has no social smile by 8 weeks, or feeds very poorly.
Read the answer AnswerIs my 2-year-old behind in emotional development?
At two, emotional development is still very early and a mild lag is often within the normal range — tantrums, clinginess and big feelings are expected, not worrying. Most mild gaps catch up with warm, predictable everyday support. Seek a developmental check if your child rarely seeks comfort, shows little shared joy or eye contact, has very few words, or if several concerns travel together. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis, because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerMy 2-year-old is behind in social skills — how concerned should I be?
A two-year-old who seems behind in social development is a reason for a calm, early developmental check — not alarm, and not a diagnosis. Social skills follow a wide timeline and many toddlers catch up well with play-based support. Seek a check if you notice little shared attention, limited back-and-forth, few pretend or copying moments, or any loss of a skill — especially together with other delays. Acting now matters because early support works beautifully at this age.
Read the answer AnswerIs My 3-Year-Old Behind in Emotional Development?
At three, big feelings, tantrums and needing lots of comfort are all normal — emotional skills are still developing. Seek a gentle developmental check if your child rarely shows warm connection, almost never settles even with comfort, shows very little emotional range, or if these differences come alongside delays in talking, playing or relating. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis, because emotional skills respond beautifully to early, playful support.
Read the answer AnswerMy 3-year-old is behind in social skills — how concerned should I be?
Around age three, social skills develop at widely varying paces, so being a little behind is common and often responds beautifully to early support. The wise step is a calm developmental check — not worry — especially if social differences persist or travel with delays in talking, play or motor skills. This is reason to assess early, not a diagnosis, because support works best at this age.
Read the answer AnswerIs my 4-year-old's emotional development a concern?
At 4, children are still learning to name feelings, calm down after upset, and share or take turns, so some wobble in emotional development is common and very workable — not a diagnosis. Seek a developmental check if meltdowns are frequent and hard to soothe, there's little emotional sharing, your child struggles to play with peers, or there are delays in speech and social connection too. This means a calm clinician's look is wise now, because emotional skills respond beautifully to early, playful support.
Read the answer AnswerIs My 4-Year-Old Behind in Social Skills?
At four, social development spans a wide normal range, and many children bloom at their own pace. A calm, structured developmental check is wise if your child shows little interest in other children, struggles with turn-taking or shared pretend play, rarely shares emotion, or if social differences travel with language delays or a loss of skills. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis — early support works beautifully at this age.
Read the answer AnswerIs My 5-Year-Old Behind in Emotional Development?
At five, emotional skills like naming feelings, calming down and recovering from upset are still developing, and children vary widely. Being behind usually means more time and gentle coaching, not that something is wrong. Seek a developmental check if meltdowns are frequent and intense, recovery is very slow, emotional vocabulary is limited, or there are delays in talking, play or connection. This is information to act on early — not a diagnosis.
Read the answer Answer5-Year-Old Behind in Social Skills — How Concerned Should I Be?
Being behind in social skills at five is worth a calm, structured developmental check rather than panic. Social development varies widely, and many children catch up well with the right understanding and support. Seek a check if the gap shows across settings, gets in the way of friendships or school, or travels with delays in talking, play, attention or managing feelings. Five is an ideal age for support to work — and an assessment is not a diagnosis, simply a clear picture.
Read the answer AnswerCooperative play to group games with rules — how to help
Moving from cooperative play to group games with rules is a big leap needing turn-taking, impulse control, perspective-taking and handling losing — so many children take their time. Bridge it at home with tiny two-player games, spoken rules, gentle practice at losing, and slowly adding players. Seek a developmental check only if the difficulty travels with wider language, social or attention differences. This is reassurance, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerFrom Needing You to Self-Soothing: How to Help Your Child
Needing an adult to calm down is normal and expected — self-soothing grows out of repeated, warm co-regulation, not instead of it. You help most by being the steady, predictable calm your child returns to, naming feelings simply, keeping routines predictable, and offering one small soothing tool again and again. Progress means needing you a little less, a little later — not a sudden switch. Seek a gentle developmental check, not as alarm but for clarity, if distress is very frequent or intense, settling takes very long even with help, or it sits alongside strong sensory reactions or delays in talking, play or connection.
Read the answer AnswerHelping your child move from playing alone to playing alongside others
Children move through play in stages — playing alone, then watching, then playing alongside others (parallel play), and only later truly together. A child still mostly playing alone is often simply not ready for the next step yet, and you can help with side-by-side play, narrating other children, and one-to-one playdates kept short and pressure-free. Seek a gentle developmental check if alongside-play hasn't begun and you also notice little interest in other children, few words, or limited eye contact and shared smiling — an early opportunity, never a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerFrom Parallel to Cooperative Play: How to Help Your Child
Playing alongside others (parallel play) before playing together (cooperative play) is a normal step, with cooperative play usually emerging between 3 and 4 years. Parents can help through turn-taking games, shared pretend play, small playdates and gentle coaching. Seek a calm developmental check if a child past three shows little interest in other children, struggles with back-and-forth, or has delays in talking and connecting — early support works beautifully and is never a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerFrom tantrums to using words for feelings
Putting feelings into words instead of tantrums is a skill that develops gradually across the toddler and early-preschool years, often still unfolding at three or four. You build the bridge by naming feelings calmly, staying alongside your child, teaching feeling words when they're settled, and praising attempts. Seek a developmental check if tantrums are very frequent, intense or long, or come with very few words or difficulty connecting — not as a diagnosis, but because early support works best.
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