Stages of child's development: Growing together

STAGES OF CHILDREN

An Article written by:

Sobowale Olufunke

What occurs in the development of infants to young adults are genetically determined.
Stages is a term used to outline key periods in the human development. My goal is to help parents understand what is taking place in their child's body.
Parents need to provide necessary support, structure and encouragement to enable a child to progress in each stages they pass through successfully.

INFANTS {0-2years}

90% of our first time mothers find this stage exciting and challenging to raise a baby. Now let's look at the stage of an INFANT.

• It's a time to develop bonds between the parents and the child.
• Parents will begin to discover who the new baby really is.

TODDLERS [2-5years]

This is a new phase in development.

• This is when the child begins to take his/her first step and free to roam around their world.
• They explore in their environment.
• They begin to understand the languages spoken to them.
• Ability to ask for things.

During this stage, a major challenge is developed what psychologists call emotional regulation but parents can use the bond developed during infancy to help the child learn to adjust their emotional expression.

• This is also a stage of rapid physical and intellectual development.
• They interact with friends.

SCHOOL AGE {6-12years}

This stage is awesome and lovely. Watching your children learn new activities. They become smarter.

• They become gradually ready for more independence

ADOLESCENTS/TEENAGERS [13-18years]

This stage is a big challenge to parents and it becomes more difficult in raising the child.

• The child begins to develop…body changes
• They become independent
• They become passive-aggressive ‡I'll do it later ‡, self-conscious ‡What are you staring at?‡, moodiness ‡leave me alone‡
• They begin to keep secrets
• Talents are perfected

This stage is the time to begin to define oneself and to contemplate on the future

• Social skills become accurate
• Intimate relationship begins to build

During adolescence stage, kids need their parents but their ego becomes a barrier to open up and the parents need to be in open parent-child communication. Adolescence will go through a lot of challenges and the parents need to support, monitor and encourage them.