Posts

Element 1: It’s Not Just the Terrible Twos

Everyone knows the phrase “terrible twos”, but have you ever heard of “tricky threes”, “fierce fours”, “fiery fives”, or “silly sixes”? Every stage of life, more specifically early childhood, has its highs and lows; its sunshine and rain; and its good days and bad days. But what’s just as important as understanding that any child is constantly learning, growing, and developing, is the art of mastering how to support a child through their developmental stages: which are physical, cognitive, and emotional/social.
Physical development can be defined as the external and internal progression of a child as they age. From ages two to six child most children have a drastic physical change. At age two, children are improving their balance. They are perfecting their jumps and hops and throws. At four, they may begin learning how to ride a tricycle, use safety scissors, and they may no longer need a midday nap. By the time a child is six, they begin losing their teeth, learning how to tie their shoes and understand how to write their names and other small words. One specific way for parents to guide their children through physical change is by talking. Talking allows both children and parents to become comfortable with change; as well as the ability to develop a healthy honest relationship
Cognitive development can be best described by Jean Piaget. Throughout the majority of an individual’s life, they are constantly developing. Early childhood would fall under Piaget’s Preoperational stage. Throughout this stage, children are learning how to speak, engage in make-believe play, understand symbolic functions, and decipher appearance from reality. They improve in areas such as counting skills, memory, attention, and language. One of the most important concepts for parents to understand cognitive development is that this area of development begins as soon as a child is born. If a parent begins talking to their child as if they are on the same cognitive level, the child is likely to be greatly accelerated in their academics.
Healthy emotional and social development in a child is vital. It sets the stage for their entire life. At age two, a child, without even realizing it, beings to understand the basic principle of the 3rd law of physics: for every action, there is an equal or opposite reaction. They develop a moral sense: the difference between right and wrong. By four, they begin to understand self-esteem, self-regulation, and self-consciousness. At this age, a child usually begins preschool where they come into contact with some of their first peers. They become familiarized with empathy and trust. By the time a child is six, they become more aware of their emotions and the emotions of others. Throughout this developmental milestone, it is crucial that parents understand how to listen to their child; because children need to feel as if they are being heard.
Everyone knows the phrase “terrible twos”, but have you ever heard of “tricky threes”, “fierce fours”, “fiery fives”, or “silly sixes”? Regardless of what stage of life a child is in, parents must meet them at their level. Once this concept is understood, the child will be able to develop in a way that is most comfortable to them.