The Milestones

• Ages 2-3: they name basic feelings but cannot manage them
• Ages 4-5: empathy appears, but only on and off
• Ages 6-8: self-control improves fast, yet still cracks under stress.

These ages are averages, not deadlines. Some children pick up emotional skills early; others bloom later. A five-year-old with the self-control of a three-year-old is not broken — they are on their own clock.