Theories of development show how important emotional growth is for young people. Here are three main ideas:

1. Erikson's Stages:

   • Erikson identified eight stages that people go through from babyhood to being an adult.
   • During these stages, emotional challenges help shape who we are. For example, in the first stage, babies learn to trust the people around them versus feeling unsure.

2. Piaget's Cognitive Development:

   • Piaget explained that our feelings grow as our thinking skills improve.
   • Kids usually start to understand other people's feelings, like empathy, between the ages of 4 and 7.

3. Statistics:

   • About 65% of a person’s emotional growth happens before they turn 5 years old.
   • Emotional intelligence, which means understanding and managing emotions, can predict about 58% of how well someone does in their job.