Child Development Essay

Heraclitus once said, “Change is the only thing that is constant.” Human beings also undergo constant change from the moment he is born, through puberty and adulthood, up until the moment he dies. Studies about child development aim to point out and elaborate different changes that occur in children and adolescents – physically, socially, emotionally, intellectually, and as a whole. A child’s development is generally affected by certain factors such as nature or heredity, nurture or the environment where the child lives, and the child’s own activities such as his behavior and his reaction towards changes. The child’s development depends on the combination of these factors.

Heredity, being the first factor to consider in understanding a child’s development, plays an essential role. Every person’s physical appearance is generally attributed to his genetic composition. Parental traits are passed on to the offsprings. A child’s complexion, eye color, height, facial appearance, and gender are influenced by heredity. Hereditary influences impose limits to a child’s physical ability which is an important function for him. Every child’s ability to crawl, walk, or talk vary according to his hereditary influences. A child’s way of responding and reacting to certain events, his impulses and emotions also depend on his genetic composition. Inherited tendencies dictate how a child would respond to certain changes in his environment. For instance, a child who is, by nature, held back or restrained, may act shyly around other people, especially if the child is not used to being around a crowd or other people. But, with a little support and encouragement from his parents or teachers, the child can act appropriately according to his age. The cognitive development of a child is also influenced by heredity. Being slow or quick to learn from instruction and everyday experiences has some genetic basis (Petrill et. al., 2004). Parents with high IQ (Intelligence Quotient) are more likely to bear children with high IQ, and vice versa. Some genetic disorders can also be inherited, such as Turner syndrome, down syndrome, and other sorts of gene mutation. Though heredity dictates some main characteristics of a child or a person, it still has its limits, and these limits can be developed through proper nurture or environmental stimulation.

Culture is also one of the factors that could affect the development of the child. Culture is referred to as the distinct ways that people living in different parts of the world classified andrepresented their experiences, and acted creatively (Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, n.d.). Culture also plays an equally important role as heredity in the development of a child. Some theories, such as the sociocultural theories tell us about how the child’s development is impacted by social and cultural systems. According to this theory, development is the process of children turning into adult and participating into the society where he is born. This was further explained by Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934), a Russian psychologist and educator. He explained how everyday experiences in social settings can change an individual’s behavior. Having studied the learning and tool use of both children and adults, Vygotsky concluded that people learn by taking part in everyday cultural activities and gradually assuming higher levels of responsibility (Vygotsky, 1962, 1978). Because different cultures have different ways of teaching, children learn in culturally specific ways. For example, each cultural group show different social practices like what they eat or how they choose the person they are going to marry. Different cultural groups also exhibit different beliefs that affect an individual’s growth and development. Individualistic cultures encourage independence, self-assertion, competition, and expression of personal needs (Kalitgibagi, 2007; Markus & Hamedani, 2007; Oyserman & Lee, 2007; Triandis, 2007). Many American families goad their children to become individualistic. Collectivist cultures, on the other hand, encourage the members to become group-oriented, to be more concerned in accomplishments of the group than the individual’s personal achievements.

Many Asian families exhibit this type of culture. Some children face discrimination and isolation especially if their culture is a minority. Because of this, these children can get bullied and leads to lower self-esteem. The bottom line is, children who grow up in a culture more likely experience human life as predictable and meaningful. By being exposed to acquired wisdom and early discoveries, culture also expands the children’s intellectual dimension.

Nutrition has a direct impact on a child’s development – physically, mentally and socially. It is important, not only for children, but for everyone to have proper nutrition. Proper nutrition should already be observed by pregnant and lactating mothers. It promotes not only a good and healthy physique, but a sound mind and better interpersonal relationships. Physically, children who have proper nutrition exhibit better physical appearance such as glowing skin, good eyesight, etc. as compared to children who does not receive proper nutrition. Notice that children who are not able to eat the right kind of food tend to lack energy, making them unable to participate to school activities or mingle with children of the same age group. They also tend to be restless and inattentive to discussions or lengthy seat works. Children need to have enough sleep and be provided with regular opportunities for rest to promote normal physical growth and development. It promotes better concentration and avoids sleeping in class. Unhealthy eating, abnormal sleeping pattern, and indulgence to drugs or cigarette can cause negatives to the child. Parents, guardians, or teachers should stress the fact that exposing the child to healthy lifestyle/habit at a very young age will bring positive impact on the development of the child.

Parents, above anyone else, have complete control on how they want their children to be raised. The relationship between the parent and the child can have a largely positive or negative impact on the growth and development of the child. The more time spent by parents in teaching their children different types of activities, playing, reading, etc., the more positive is the effect on their child’s development. Parents who do not spend enough time on interacting with their children can cause an adverse effect on the child’s development. It is also observed that children from broken homes and orphanages do not grow and develop in an optimum level (Aejy, 2009). Negative experiences within the family, such as sibling rivalry, insecurity, and loss of parents, have negative impact on growth and development. I have also read from an article that children receive different levels of attention from their parents according to the order in which they are born (ordinal position in the family). For example, the first born child usually gets more attention while the middle one gets less attention and is usually less driven or goal-oriented as compared to the first one. The youngest child is usually more oriented to peers, is less intelligent and less achievement oriented than the other siblings, but receives more attention and affection, which is why they tend to develop a warm and friendly personality and self-confidence. Moreover, the only child develops faster and more intellectually as compared to other children with siblings.

Childhood is an essential part of the developmental stage. Children, being so vulnerable, can get easily affected by many factors such as social, environmental and emotional factors. Small things that are taken for granted by parents and adults may have a great impact on the child’s development. A strong learning environment surrounding a child is very helpful in improving the development. In the contrary, if the child is exposed to poor educational environment, negative effects in his development can be expected.

Education takes a large part in the development of the child. It influences the physical, socio-emotional and cognitive facets of child development. Being at school helps children improve their physical, social, and intellectual ability. They learn to mix and socialize with other kids which can promote self-esteem and develop a sense of belongingness. Lack of socialization can cause early childhood development issues. A child who is not exposed to different types of environment or people may develop issues such as speech problems and inability to control their behavior around people. At school, children enjoy the benefit of larger play spaces and equipments. They can develop fine motor skills by writing, painting, clay modeling, etc. Teachers or facilitators help enhance cognitive development by teaching different concepts such as shapes, letters, colors, and numbers. Other supporting tools such as puzzles and books can help improve child development.

While studying the different factors that affect child development, I came across the question: Why do we have to study child development in the first place? The answer is actually very simple. As a teacher, I believe that in order to guide my students and maximize their potential, I would first have to understand every phase of this process. With these in mind, I would be able to identify individual differences and know how to respond to them. The success or failure of an individual depends on the foundations set by the physical, social, emotional and intellectual growth and development that happens in the early stages of childhood.