Early
& Middle Childhood Development
As we wrap up with the previous
chapters of birth, newborn, & infancy, we move on to
early and middle childhood development. Things get a bit
interesting as with every chapter we are introduced to, I am reminded of my own
child’s development, and it is always nice to learn something new and
incorporate it in her/my daily life. We are first introduced in chapter 6 to
Selma Fraiberg who describes the ages from 2 to 6 as “The magic years”
(Fraiberg, 1959). Indeed, these years are quite magical, and the little kiddos
never seize to amaze us with their wittiness and their charming personality. We
truly underestimate them, and they know more than we think they know. I’ve
always believed their brain around this time is like a sponge. They absorb any
and every like information that they are exposed to (good or bad).
Piaget’s 2nd stage of preoperational period comes
into play during this time in a child’s life. Children are at a level of
thinking that precedes operational thought; they are familiarized with symbols
to signify objects and events in place of setting. (Fiore, 2011, pg. 133).
Activities of preoperational children consists of:
1.
Animism-When
children think objects have feelings
2.
Defined
imitation-Imitating an action or event they have witnessed
3.
Symbolic
play-an object can represent a different object in the play scenario
An
example of symbolic play (but really has nothing to do with playing) I think is
over the summer when I lost my grandmother to cancer, it took a toll on my
daughter since the last 2 months was spent with her, as my aunts and myself
took turns taking care of her. Of course, my daughter was by my side helping
out. My grandmother and daughter had such a strong bond and truly believe it
will never be broken, and although she’s only 3 years old, I believe she will
never forget her either. Getting to the point, every time we pass a cemetery,
it reminds my little girl of her great grandmother and automatically assumes that’s
where she is laid to rest. We can pass 2-3 cemeteries and my daughter assumes
my grandmother is in all 3 places. I found that very smart of her to think that
way. The symbol of any cemetery represents my grandmother. Just to make a
note, my child is always asking about God, death, and what is her great grandmother
doing at the moment. It is only natural I believe to ask so many questions at
this age as they want to know everything.
I believe that around early
childhood and sometimes middle childhood time of one’s life is when they are
being molded into the person they want to be. Through the parents and teacher’s
guidance, and not with force, and positive reinforcement in a child’s
environment, they can shape themselves into the best person they can possibly
be.
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ReplyDeleteRuba,
DeleteI really liked reading the story about your daughter. It is so amazing how, at such a young age, she has an understanding of what it means to physically lose someone close to her. The best part about it is her innocence towards the situation. Although she is not fully aware of what has happened to your grandmother, she understands that she is resting. Like you said, they hold a special bond and that alone speaks volume. Unfortunately, this is not a playful moment but it is definitely a form of symbolism. The cool thing is that every time she see's a cemetary, she doesn't think of death but rather your grandmother which I think is very special.
Greetings Ruba.
ReplyDeleteYour posts are always interesting and a pleasure a to read; always relatable. I would have to agree with you that it does appear that children's mind is like a sponge; they seem to absorb everything and remember small details and statements we make.
Death is a very interesting topic for children, as they do not understand it completely; they seem to understand the beliefs and comforts that we tell them, many of which I believe are based on our religious beliefs and backgrounds. It's certainly a difficult topic to deal, regardless of one's beliefs. My children have experienced the death of an extended family member, but also had to try and understand what was happening to me when the doctors told my family that my chances of surviving the cancer were less than 5%. It's a very difficult concept to understand, and I firmly believe that these experiences with death of loved ones has a significant impact on their development.