Skill
Manages Emotions
Child handles strong feelings, first by seeking a familiar adult and later by using simple coping strategies with growing independence.
Ages 6–60 months
Why it matters
Emotional self-regulation begins as co-regulation: a baby calms in the arms of a trusted adult. Over time the child internalizes those soothing routines into their own strategies — naming a feeling, taking a breath, or asking for help. This shift from being calmed to calming oneself underlies every later learning disposition, because a dysregulated child cannot attend, explore, or persist.
Builds toward this milestone
- manages feelings and emotions with support of familiar adults. — Head Start ELOF
- manages emotions with increasing independence. — Head Start ELOF
What mastery looks like
- Seeks a familiar adult for comfort when feelings become overwhelming.
- Uses at least one self-soothing strategy, such as hugging a lovey or taking a deep breath.
- Expresses emotions in ways that fit the situation, with adult support when feelings are most intense.
How to observe it
- When the child is upset, what does the child do first — look for an adult, withdraw, or try a calming strategy?
- Does the child accept and use a coping strategy an adult offers, such as breathing or counting?
Accessibility
- Offer visual feeling cards or photos for children who communicate non-verbally.
- Provide a predictable, low-stimulation calm-down space for children who are easily overwhelmed.
Activities
Evidence
- Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF) — U.S. Office of Head Start · 2015 · U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Early Atlas