8mo–20mo10 minFamily timeQuiet timeRest
Emotion Team Plan
A brief alignment routine so home and setting respond to your child's emotions in similar, predictable ways (name, soothe, then guide). Supports co-regulation and helps babies feel safe across contexts.
What you'll need
Essentials
- Phone notes or a small notebook (to capture the shared approach)
Nice to have
- A comforter or soft toy
- A short song or rhyme you can use for calming
Movement level: false
What you'll do
The 4-step guide, with what to look for at each step, is for signed-in parents.
What this develops
What it practices
- Growing sense of will and determination may result in feelings of anger and frustration which are difficult to handle, e.g. may have tantrums.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Is aware of others’ feelings, for example, looks concerned if hears crying or looks excited if hears a familiar happy voice.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Responds to a few appropriate boundaries, with encouragement and support.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- Original guidance
- “Establish shared understandings between home and setting about ways of responding to babies’ emotions.”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)