Child Development 101:
The Toddler
Presented by: Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes
Executive Director, AllCEUs
Continuing Education (CE) credits can be earned for this presentation at https://allceus.com/member/cart/index/product/id/613/c/
Objectives
~ Examine how the child is starting to develop self esteem through initiative and independence
~ Explore what can go wrong in each stage and what can be done to repair damages now.
Maslow
~ In addition to biological and safety needs…
~ The toddler is now developing
~ Self-Esteem
~ I am lovable for who I am
~ I am loveable even when I make a mistake
~ Self-Efficacy
~ I am capable of trying new things
~ If I make a mistake, my caregiver is there to help me
Psychosocial Development
Will: Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt (Toddlers, 2 to 3 years) “Can I do things myself or am I reliant on others?”
~ Interferences
~ Overly permissive or overly strict parents
~ Lack of praise for exploration and experimentation
~ Manifestations
~ Low self-esteem/need for external validation
~ Lack of motivation
~ Establishment/Re-Establishment
~ Encourage child/yourself to explore and experiment
~ Praise child/yourself for trying even if he fails
~ Reassure child/yourself that he/she is loved as it
Psychosocial Development cont…
Purpose: Initiative vs. Guilt (Preschool, 4 to 6 years)
Children begin asserting control and power
~ Interferences
~ Overly strict/enmeshed parents
~ Lack of encouragement to take risks
~ Manifestations
~ Low self-esteem/need for external validation
~ Difficulty making or maintaining friends
~ Unclear what he likes, wants, feels
~ Guilt for having own needs
Psychosocial Development cont…
Purpose: Initiative vs. Guilt (Preschool, 4 to 6 years)
Children begin asserting control and power
~ Establishment
~ Explore and experiment
~ Praise child for trying even if he fails
~ Reassure child that you love him for who he is
~ Encourage children to develop friendships with a variety of people
~ Re-Establishment
~ Explore and experiment
~ Praise yourself even if you don’t succeed
~ Remind yourself why you are lovable for who you are
~ Develop effective goal setting skills
Piaget
~ 2-6 years early childhood (Preoperational)
~ Preschoolers live in a magical world where inanimate objects are alive (animism) and dreams are real.
~ Parenting challenge:
~ Truth vs. Fiction
~ Creativity vs. Reality
~ They have trouble distinguishing between appearances and reality.
~ Parenting challenge
~ Safe vs. Danger
~ Truth vs. Fiction
Piaget
~ Children of this age typically love to play make-believe.
~ Parenting challenge
~ Finding your make believe
~ Understanding what they are communicating through their play
Piaget
~ They focus on one aspect of a situation (centration) and struggle to see other vantage points (egocentrism)
~ Parenting challenge
~ Finding their voice vs. Being a bully
~ Helping them learn to make good choices
~ Accepting their part vs. Taking total responsibility
~ Accepting that everything isn’t necessarily their fault or doing
~ Interventions
~ Effective communication skills
~ Explore the notion of responsibility
~ Explore all aspects of a situation including other vantage points
Early Childhood cont…
~ They often have difficulty putting into words how they feel or what is going on inside.
~ Effects
~ High levels of anxiety and “acting out”
~ Difficulty self-soothing
~ Parenting challenge:
~ Pay attention to nonverbal (and verbal) cues and help the child label her feelings
~ Help child learn to identify sensations, urges and feelings associated with emotions
~ Teach children to “check-in” with themselves periodically
~ Create a validating environment
~ Help child learn to tolerate emotions
Early Childhood cont…
~ They use everyday objects in “conventional” and unconventional purposes.
~ Parenting challenge
~ Honoring their creativity in the right time/place
~ Getting outside of the box
~ Preschoolers also love to ask questions both to learn facts as well as learn how to interact with others
~ Parenting challenge:
~ Not getting impatient “Mommy, why is the….”
~ Helping children learn how to answer their own questions
~ Helping children learn to self-regulate in mutual conversations
~ Encouraging children to figure out their own answers
Early Childhood cont…
~ They are little scientists – trying things out to see what happens.
What will happen if I drop my ball of playdough into the aquarium? Hmmmmm. Let's check it out! In this same way, they test rules and boundaries to make sure they are the same.
~ Parenting challenge:
~ Cleaning the aquarium
~ Being consistent
~ Understanding the child’s motivation
~ Children at this age crave structure.
~ Parenting challenge:
~ Consistency
~ Steadfastness
Early Childhood cont…
~ Children begin to use strategies for remembering, but they often use inappropriate and ineffective strategies.
~ Parenting challenge:
~ Differentiating truth from fiction
~ Identifying intentional lying from ineffective recall
~ Help children start learning to be mindful and aware
Summary
~ Toddlers and preschool age children are learning that it is okay to
~ Have their own wants and needs
~ Communicate their own wants and needs
~ Try new things even if they fail
~ They are developing emotional regulation skills
~ Self-Esteem children are learning they are loveable for who they are, thereby reducing the need for external validation and fears of:
~ Rejection
~ Isolation
~ Failure
~ The Unknown
~ Loss of Control
Summary
~ Adults who received excessive criticism or were not provided sufficient emotional support can:
~ Enhance their self-esteem
~ Identify what they have been successful at
~ Identify and set reasonable, achievable goals to increase self-efficacy
~ Deal with grief and resentment issues that may surface regarding parents who failed to meet their needs
~ Develop the ability to identify and regulate emotions