What is a common emotional behavior exhibited by children by age 5?

By age 5, many children commonly exhibit attachment to a comfort object. This behavior serves several psychological purposes, including providing a sense of security and emotional regulation. Comfort objects, which can be items like a specific toy, blanket, or stuffed animal, often help children manage anxiety in new situations, such as entering school or interacting with unfamiliar individuals.

Such objects can provide a reliable source of comfort and familiarity, allowing children to express emotions or seek solace during challenging or stressful times. The presence of a comfort object may also help facilitate social interactions and encourage exploration by offering emotional support.

The other options present behaviors that may not be as typical or may develop at different ages. For instance, while fear of new experiences can occur, children generally become more capable of exploring and trying new things by age 5, showing curiosity and willingness to engage with their environment. Furthermore, aversion to non-verbal cues is not a recognized behavior pattern typical of this developmental stage; rather, children usually start to become more adept at interpreting social signals by this age. Lastly, a lack of empathy, while it can appear in certain individuals, is generally part of a developing social skill set in young children, as they become increasingly aware of others' feelings and learn to empath