Emotional Development

Question

Emotional Development

Jaisoon is one of two boys at the daycare who turned 5 during the same week in January. Lake, the other boy who turned 5, is very emotional. He is the youngest of three children – with two older sisters who are both in high school. Even though he is five, after his mother drops him off each morning he cries and says he misses his mommy.

The only child Lake will interact with is Jaisoon – and has mentioned that the other children are babies.

Lake seems to be very attached to Jaisoon – and has proclaimed that Jaisoon is his best friend. Jaisoon, on the other hand, seems indifferent to Lake and will disengaged himself from Lake to play somewhere else. He still plays with Lake, but also has other play options.

1. Write a summary in your own words about Lake’s emotional development. And then do the same for Jaisoon.
2. Compare Lake and Jaisoon to emotional developmental ‘norms’ for five year olds.
3. Apply what you know about personality and temperament to these two children.

Answer 1

I would not think that saying missing mom and crying at drop off is overly emotional. I have several questions. How long has Lake been going to the daycare? It takes time for children to feel secure about new caregivers and if he has only been with mom then he may need time to overcome the separation. Usually five year olds can separate from parents with minimal distress so I would want to know more about the crying. Is it brief and just a little fussiness or is it uncontrollable and he can't be consoled? Some children are more sensitive and need more support during drop off in the childcare setting.

It is common for 5 year olds to have a "best friend" and only want to play with that child. Its not always mutual but it doesn't seem from the information we have that Jaisson is distressed by it. Lake also is exploring social power by calling the other children "babies". Depending on the nature of the childcare, they might actually be babies.

Comparison to Emotional Developmental Norms

By age five, children are generally expected to:

1. Separate from caregivers with minimal distress
2. Form friendships but not rely exclusively on one peer
3. Begin regulating emotions more independently
4. Engage in cooperative play with a variety of children

Lake’s behavior is somewhat outside these norms: his continued distress and selective peer engagement suggest challenges in emotional regulation and social independence, though this may be influenced by temperament. Jaisoon’s behaviors align with expectations for five-year-olds: he demonstrates autonomy, social flexibility, and the ability to manage emotions appropriately.

Hope my thoughts help!