Skill
Warms Up to New Adults
Toddler uses a trusted adult as a secure base when meeting unfamiliar adults.
Ages 8–36 months
Why it matters
Using a familiar caregiver as a "secure base" to check in with before engaging someone new lets a child stretch beyond primary relationships. This is how expectations learned at home transfer to teachers, relatives, and other adults.
Builds toward this milestone
- uses expectations learned through repeated experiences in primary relationships to develop relationships with other adults. — Head Start ELOF
What mastery looks like
- Glances at or stays near a familiar adult to gauge comfort before approaching someone new.
- With reassurance, engages in a positive interaction with an unfamiliar adult.
How to observe it
- When a new adult arrives, does the child look to a familiar caregiver for cues?
- After reassurance, can the child warm up and interact with the new adult?
Accessibility
- Allow extra time and never force interaction; let the child approach at their own pace.
- Keep a familiar caregiver visibly present and available during introductions.
Activities
Evidence
- Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs (4th ed.) — National Association for the Education of Young Children · 2022 · National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
Early Atlas