Final answer:
Children begin to show evidence of emotion regulation around the age of three. They start using sentences, asking questions, showing preferences, and adhering to simple rules, which indicates growing emotional control. Prior to this, one and two-year-olds are developing cognitive skills but their emotional regulation is still evolving.
Step-by-step explanation:
Emotion Regulation in Children
Children begin to exhibit evidence of emotion regulation around the age of three. Although there are signs of emotional and cognitive development throughout the early years, it is around this age that children are able to start speaking in short sentences, ask questions, and show preferences for certain elements like food, toys, and clothing. By the age of three, toddlers can express their needs more clearly, show autonomy in simple tasks, and are generally more independent. This autonomy in expressing preferences and making choices contributes to their budding ability to regulate emotions. Furthermore, three-year-old toddlers can adhere to simple game rules, which implies a growing understanding of social norms and constraints, also related to emotional control.
Although children as young as one or two exhibit certain cognitive milestones such as understanding object permanence and responding to verbal requests, they don't yet display the same level of emotional self-regulation as three-year-olds. The 'terrible twos' often refer to this developmental stage where two-year-old toddlers may show independence and defiance but also experience frustration and distress, which can lead to temper tantrums, indicating a still developing capacity for emotion regulation.