Developmental Tasks and Parenting a Toddler

TODDLERS

(18 MONTHS- 3 YEARS OLD)

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DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS

ERIK ERIKSON’S THEORY OF

PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

AUTONOMY VS SHAME AND DOUBT

During the toddler period (1-3 years old), children accomplish a wide array of developmental tasks and change from largely immobile and preverbal infants who are dependent on caregivers for the fulfillment of most needs to walking, talking young children with a growing sense of autonomy (independence).


TODDLERS?

Work to master physical environment while maintaining self-esteem

Main Question: "Can I do things myself or must I always rely on others?“

Virtue: Will


The child shows independence by controlling eliminative functions and motor abilities

They begin to explore their surroundings and direct own motor activity.

“NEGATIVISM”- Saying “NO”

PARENTS should: provide a strong base of security from which the child

can venture out to assert their will. Showcase patience and encouragement which helps

foster autonomy in the child. Highly restrictive parents, however, are more likely to instill the child with a sense of doubt and reluctance to attempt new challenges.


As TODDLERS gain increased muscular coordination and mobility, they become capable of satisfying some of their own needs. They begin to feed themselves, wash and dress themselves, and use the bathroom. If caregivers encourage self-sufficient behavior, toddlers develop a sense of autonomy- a sense of being able to handle many problems on their own. But if caregivers demand too much too soon, refuse to let children perform tasks of which they are capable, or ridicule early attempts at self-sufficiency, children may instead develop shame and doubt about their ability to handle problems.


SIGMUND FREUD’S THEORY OF PSYCHOSEXUAL

DEVELOPMENTAnal Stage

18 months to 3 years old

ANAL STAGE:Task: Bladder and Bowel Control or Toilet Training

-In this stage, the focus of drive energy (erogenous zone) moves from the upper digestive tract to the lower end and the anus.

-Bowel control is achieved FIRST before Bladder control--- Complete bowel and bladder control is at 4-6 years old but readiness for toilet training is as early as 18 months.

PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT

The major experience during this stage is toilet training that may result to conflict of the id, which asks for immediate gratification of its drives that involves elimination and activities related to it (such as handling feces) and the demands of their parents. The resolution of this conflict can be gradual and non-traumatic, or intense and stormy, depending on how the parents handle the situation.

Earlier Pleasure– for the relief of tension Later Pleasure- for the approval of the parent


The resolution of this conflict can be gradual and non-traumatic, or intense and stormy, depending on how the parents handle the situation. The ideal resolution comes if the child tries to adjust and the parents are moderate, so that the child learns the importance of cleanliness and order gradually, which leads to a self-controlled adult. If the parents put too much emphasis on toilet training while the child decides to accommodate, this may lead to the development of compulsive personality, over orderliness and over cleanliness. On the other hand, if the child decides to heed the demands of the id and the parents give in, the child may develop a messy and self-indulgent personality.


Consequences of Fixation:

Anal retentive:- Obsession with organization or excessive neatness, selfish, meticulous

Anal Expulsive: - Reckless, careless, defiant, disorganized/ messy


LAWRENCE KOHLBERG’S THEORY OF

MORAL DEVELOPMENTPre-conventional

Level 1 (Pre-Conventional)

1. Obedience and punishment orientation (How can I avoid punishment?)

2. Self-interest orientation (What's in it for me?)

---- toddlers focus on punishment and reward for certain activities done

MORAL DEVELOPMENT

The pre-conventional level of moral reasoning is common in children, though adults can also exhibit this level of reasoning.

In this level, the toddlers judge the morality of an action by its direct consequences. This consists of the first and second stages of moral development, and is solely concerned with the self in an egocentric manner. A child with pre conventional morality has not yet adopted or internalized society's conventions regarding what is right or wrong, but instead focuses largely on external consequences that certain actions may bring.

MORAL DEVELOPMENT

Stage one : Obedience and Punishment◦ individuals focus on the direct consequences of

their actions on themselves.

◦ Example: an action is perceived as morally wrong because the child is punished. "The last time I did that I got spanked so I will not do it again." The worse the punishment for the act is, the more "bad" the act is perceived to be. – focus on PUNISHMENT

MORAL DEVELOPMENT

Stage two: Self-interest Orientation

- this suggests a "what's in it for me" position wherein right behavior is defined by whatever is in the individual's best interest. Stage two reasoning shows a limited interest in the needs of others, but only to a point where it might further the individual's own interests. As a result, concern for others is not based on loyalty or respect, but rather a "you scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours" mentality. –-- focus on REWARD

MORAL DEVELOPMENT

Parents should:

◦ A. know that activities elicit affection and approval

◦ B. recurrence of certain rituals, such as repeating phrases from prayers also elicit approval

◦ C. by 2, toddlers are learning what attitudes their parents hold about moral matters

MORAL DEVELOPMENT

JEAN PIAGET’S THEORYOF COGNITIVEDEVELOPMENT

Sensorimotor Pre-operational

SENSORIMOTOR PERIOD:

◦ - learning occurs through the senses and movements

◦ - sense of touch is the most developed at this stage so providing sensory stimulation promotes development.

◦ -development progress from reflex activities towards solutions to problems

◦ - “object permanence”

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

At 12 to 18 months:◦ Stage of Tertiary circular reactions, novelty, and curiosity

- solves problem by TRIAL AND ERROR ◦ - active experimentation◦ - beginning of rational judgment and intellectual

reasoning- associated primarily with the discovery of new means to meet goals

◦ - Piaget describes the child at this juncture as the "young scientist," conducting pseudo-experiments to discover new methods of meeting challenges example: throwing a ball

SENSORIMOTOR PERIOD

At 18–24 months:◦ INVENTION OF NEW MEANS THROUGH MENTAL COMBINATIONS

◦ - solves problems MENTALLY ◦ - They develop the ability to use primitive

symbols and form enduring mental representations. This stage is associated primarily with the beginnings of insight, or true creativity:

◦ - They utilize memory through simple repetitive acts, as well as imitation or domestic mimicry

◦ Example: varied uses of blocks

SENSORIMOTOR PERIOD

- there is sparse and logically inadequate mental operations. During this stage, the child learns to use and to represent objects by images, words, and drawings. The child is able to form stable concepts as well as mental reasoning and magical beliefs. The child however is still not able to perform operations; tasks that the child can do mentally rather than physically. Thinking is still egocentric: The child has difficulty taking the viewpoint of others.

PREOPERATIONAL PERIOD

- When a toddler is given a toy, he/ she will not immediately handle the toy to see how it works but will instead look at it carefully to think about how it works.

-Symbolic thought: example: chair symbolizes safety and blanket for comfort

- Magical thinking: thinking equals happening :

PRECONCEPTUAL PERIOD

Although there is an advancement in progress, there are still limitations such as egocentrism and animism.

Egocentrism occurs when a child is unable to distinguish between their own perspective and that of another person's.

- Children tend to pick their own view of what they see rather than the actual view shown to others.

Animism is the belief that inanimate objects are capable of actions and have lifelike qualities or assigning human trace to non-humans. An example is a child believing that the sidewalk was mad and made them fall down.

PRECONCEPTUAL PHASE (2-4

YEARS OLD)

PARENTING A TODDLER

Parenting a toddler means exploring sensory experiences

PARENTING A TODDLER

When parenting a toddler, you should include exposing your child to a wide variety of healthy sensory experiences. Very young children are little sponges, learning from every experience they encounter, good or bad. They are constantly learning, often things we as parents are not even aware of. Research shows that up to the age of ten, the parents are the biggest influence in their little lives, even if the children are in daycare or kindergarten.

It is good to remember when parenting a toddler that each child is unique and that children all grow and develop at different rates and times

PARENTING A TODDLER

Do not get too worried if other children start walking at a specific age and your child does not walk at exactly the same age. Your concerns are valid and you need to monitor your baby, yes, but keep the big picture in mind if your child seems well and the doctor finds nothing wrong. Avoid focusing on only one negative concern of your child try to keep the whole child in mind and keep building on their strengths. This will help to keep matters in some kind of balance.

PARENTING A TODDLER

When parenting a toddler, some who want their children and especially their firstborn to be super clean, may in the process limit their children from important exploration development. This might be playing outside, playing with mud, crawling around or feeding themselves. Crawling on different textures such as carpets, tile floors, wooden floors and of course, on the grass outside, is a very important developmental aspect for toddlers.

PARENTING A TODDLER

EXPLORING THEIR ENVIRONMENT

When young children are free to explore their surroundings, far more is happening than just making a “mess”. They are building their own reference library that can only become very useful later on in life. This exploration is the foundation for understanding more advanced concepts later on in life starting at school and going right through to university.

Through these experiences, the foundation for association is made. “This feels like …” “This makes me think of …..” This is especially important when children are studying. Creativity is also connected when all the senses can be incorporated in the learning process. The memory is also activated to a greater extent, as the right and left sides of the brain are both required to participate.

PARENTING A TODDLER

When we have experienced something fully, we can match our learned vocabulary to that experience more easily than trying to learn a new word without an experience to act as a hook for new words. Once we have touched, smelled, seen and heard a dog, it is much easier to link the word ‘dog’ to our experience. More parts of the brain are active in the learning experience.

PARENTING A TODDLER

BE ONE WITH IT

Developing a sense of humor can also be beneficial in connecting and retaining new facts and new learning. Developing the ability to see the funny side is an important skill in coping with life and living. Learning to laugh has many benefits.

When studying for exams, it is amazing how much easier it is to remember a difficult fact or concept if we associate that with a funny, strange or unusual experience and involve as much of our sensory memory as possible.

PARENTING A TODDLER

Some tips and ideas to support the young child’s sensory development:

From about 12 months you can:

Play games and songs to establish a healthy body awareness. Songs such as “Head, shoulders, knees and toes”. You can also play them while looking in a mirror. This aids with visual identification and understanding as well as getting the child used to how they look.

Point out in an age appropriate book the different pictures and how they relate to the story.

Visit touch and feel farms or places where touching is encouraged. More and more places are becoming aware of the importance of touching.

PARENTING A TODDLER

Sandpits and mud are important textures to explore: Make sand castles and mud cakes together. You can decorate your cakes with seeds, stones and other things you find in the garden. Remember to capture their artwork by a taking a photo. These picture records later on become favorites to look back on.

Blackboard and chalk can be a fun experience for scribbling. You can also scribble on paving bricks and driveways with chalk as it washes off quite easily. One of the important things here is the size of the drawings you can do: The bigger the better!

Paint a wall together. Show your child how to use your shoulder movements as you paint. It is great to paint on the outside of glass sliding doors with water paint that can easily be washed off.

PARENTING A TODDLER

Invest in a building block set with various shapes. Name the shapes as you play with your child.

Cardboard boxes make wonderful toys and put the fun into parenting a toddler. Children love to play with boxes, smaller boxes for making a box train to pull their soft toys along and bigger boxes to making a play house with blankets and cushions.

It is great fun for boys and girls to play with a ball. Start by rolling soft balls of various sizes to each other and later kicking and throwing various sized ball outside.

Play games where you put things in various positions. For example; “The teddy is on top of the table”, or, “The teddy is now under the table.” Later you can ask “Where is the teddy now?”

PARENTING A TODDLER

Talk about things in descriptive language. “That is a big, noisy truck” “Look how small the red kite is in the sky.”

Big building blocks or counting blocks are great for explaining how things fit into each other.

Fun books with touch and feel pieces are great fun.

PARENTING A TODDLER

From about 18 months:

Read basic stories that apply to their daily lives in a positive way: Such as, washing dishes and other chores, bicycles, bath time, bedtime, seasons, swimming, animals, pets, gardening, road safety and books that encourage imagination.

Use finger puppets to tell stories with the puppets talking to each other.

Play under the lawn sprinkler on a hot, sunny day. Use play dough as much as possible. Feeling the textures and

learning to understand the basics of developing shapes is very important.

Make a point of complimenting and encouraging your children on a daily basis just for who they are.

Invest in a jungle gym and swings or visit a safe play park where possible

PARENTING A TODDLER

From about 24 months:

Use old cardboard boxes to make an obstacle course. Remember to include that all important activity of crawling when you set out your obstacle course.

A big box can also make a good front for a puppet theatre. Ask your children to help paint designs or pictures on the outside of the box. Use cardboard boxes to design and build a race ramp for toy cars.

Practice standing on one leg at a time. This stimulates and promotes good balance.

Use an exercise ball and bounce softly on it while holding your child in your lap or in the air. Be aware to not bounce too wildly; avoid too much stress on the neck muscles and back, (yours as well as those of your child!)

PARENTING A TODDLER

Dance and swing side to side or forward and back while listening to music.

Allow your child to do simple tasks on his/her own. A good one is allowing them to carry a plate of cookies to offer to your guests.

Work towards building puzzles with 9 pieces. Make a point of complimenting and encouraging

your toddler on a daily basis. Use fun bath toys that pour, turn, squirt, float and

sink. Tell or ask the child what the toy is doing. You can use a few drops of food coloring in the bath

to have fun while learning about different colors.

PARENTING A TODDLER

Point out opposites. “That car is far away. This car is close to us.” Wider, lighter, emptier, and so on.

Imitate animal sounds; “The sheep goes Baaa, baaa.” Sing along with songs. Practice sing high and low. “Let

sing high” or “Let sing low”. Work together when making cookies. Kneading, rolling

and pressing out the shapes. Crunch pieces of tissue paper and throw them into a

basket. Even collecting rough and smooth stones will enrich

parenting a toddler. Chat about their textures and where you would find them.

PARENTING A TODDLER

Make a collage using different objects and fabric textures. Name the different textures.

Finger painting is a great idea when parenting a toddler. You can also add a few drops of safe Aromatic Essential oils, such as orange, mandarin, apple, peach, vanilla, lavender. This will give the room and the artwork a beautiful aroma.

PARENTING A TODDLER

SENSORY STIMULANT

Documents

Developmental Tasks and Parenting a Toddler