Infancy : Development Of A Genius

Early childhood is the most important phase of development in one’s lifespan as the experiences during childhood sets the course for later stages of development. It has been noted that a mother’s actions during pregnancy may influence the development of an infant. The developmental influences include prenatal, perinatal and neonatal environments. (Santrock, 2002) Although babies come into the world with no say or control over which family they will be placed into, or the environment in which they will begin to live in, theorists agree that the first two years are crucial, with early emotional, physical and social development influenced by the infant’s biological and environmental factors (Sigelman, Rider, & De-George Walker, 2013). The

In the film Babies, 4 infants are being observed for the first two years of their lives. Each babies comes from different culture, which shows how the various customs can impact the child’s development. Ponijao is the youngest one in his family and lives in a village in Opuwo Namibia. Bayar lives in Bayanchandmachi, Mongolia. Mari is the first child of a couple who lives in Tokyo Japan, and Hattie lives in Sans Francisco California. The film shows the babies develop cognitively, physically and socially-emotionally, during the infancy and toddler years. The Infancy and toddlerhood period is from birth to 2 years. “This period brings dramatic changes in the body and brain that support the emergence of a wide array of motor, perceptual, and intellectual capacities” (Berk & Meyers, 2016, p.6).

A child develops through its whole life. They can develop; physically, linguistically, intellectually, socially and behaviourally. “Physical development is the way in which the body increases in skill and becomes more complex in its performance” [Meggitt, 2000, Page 2]. Twenty five days after conception; the body of the chid has developed immensely from the small fertilised egg. Up to birth the foetus mainly develops physically however once the child is born the child then begins the long process of development. Not only do the gross motor skills and the fine motor skills develop on the baby, but the sensory development also widens on the child.

The first stage of Erikson's psychosocial stage is trust vs. mistrust, which is experienced, in the first year of life. Infants learn to trust in order to satisfy their needs thus developing a feeling of self-worth. When infants receive inconsistent care they

The development of a child in the first year of life is extremely intense; in just 52 weeks’ an infant goes through major physical, cognitive and social and emotional developments.

Some of the senses that are vital during the growth of the child are: hearing, vision, smelling and tasting, ability to speak and feeling pain; they are the basic improvements in the child’s mental growth, they help the child in the perception of the general occurrences in the world around the child. After the child have developed the basic senses to the major aspects of life that is when they will be able to develop permanent images of objects even if they are not there at the moment. The sensorimotor nerves of a child develops as the child make primitive movements, these improves the reflex response of a child (Piaget, & Inhelder, 2010).

There are few things in this world that are pristine and new, clean-slated and fresh. A newborn child is just one of these things; unaware of feelings, human interactions, the joys or fears of life, and the world as a whole. However, what contact this child has with the world will shape and develop the mind, personality, emotions, and stability of the sense of self from the very beginning. It is because of these interactions that people are able to develop a healthy persona and it can determine how they intergrade with the world around them and all of whom they come across. Unfortunately not all children are lucky enough to be born into a healthy environment that will nurture the child to its full potential. Some children have bad

On October 5, 2016, our Life-Span Development class had the opportunity to observe the physical, cognitive, and social development of Lewis, a three month old male infant. The observation was conducted at Dordt College in Room CL 1143 and the infant’s parent consented to participate in the live observation.

The parents reported that their child’s pre and post natal development was normal without illness or injury. However, as an infant/toddler, he had been difficult to soothe when upset and demanded constant attention which his parents found difficult to manage.

Infants are very helpless and extraordinarily dependent. Their earliest behaviors are goal driven for gaining a caregiver to focus and engage reciprocity in their behavior (Sroufe, 2011). The infants task is to gain their survival needs and regulate fear and stress by creating contingent responses so that the world may be predictable and comprehensible (Sroufe, 2011). Regulating emotions can only occur in relationship with the parents; an infant is ill equipped to reduce arousal on their own (Seigel, date, Sroufe, 2011, cite.) The infants work is most effective when circumstances and contingent responses are anticipated and more challenging when they encounter unpredictability and transitions (Hughes, 2014).

Infants are a special cohort of a population in the society. Children between the ages of five months to two years are at a stage where they start familiarizing with their surroundings and have different reactions to situations. The surrounding where an infant grows greatly determines his or her development. The primary determinant of the development of infants is the parent-infant interaction (Crain, 2015). The first bond or relation of a child is with its biological parents or guardians in the case of orphaned children.

Infant Mental Health has developed significantly in the last three decades. Now there is greater understanding and knowledge that the early years of life are vital for social and emotional development of an individual across the lifespan. Hence, early intervention in infants with difficulties leads to better long- term outcome. There are increased number of interventions addressing the emotional and social developmental issues of an infant, with infant and parents in an individual or group setting, on a short-term or long-term basis using psychodynamic or behavioural approach. Most of these psychotherapies seem to be relationship based and rightly so because it is well known that the development of a child occurs in context of past and present relationships.

The timeframe of a child from birth to three years of age is essential in shaping their intelligence, their grit, and their self-regulation. In that short period of time, their brains are like sponges, soaking up everything that their surrounding environment has to offer. Because of this, it is crucial for them to be exposed to as much language and knowledge as possible, so that they will be able to reach their full potential academically, socially, or emotionally. At the root of a baby’s full potential is their primary caretaker. Thirty Million Words’ purpose is to educate new parents about how simple techniques implemented into their child’s daily lives could immensely benefit their future.

The Psychosocial Development Theory of Erik Erikson identifies eight stages that individual has to pass through from infancy to late adulthood stages. I remember when my sister asked me to look after my nephew who was at 5 months old. I was afraid to carry him the moment he cried because he looked so fragile. However, I remember what Erikson said about this stage that it is important to establish trust to the caregiver and provide the basic needs of the infant otherwise, the mistrust will be developed. The moment I carried my nephew and hand him a toy, he stopped crying and started to suck the toy. From the perspective of Jean Piaget, infants have neonatal schemas or innate ability even before they have more experience about the world. From there I understand clearly that babies have incredible reflexes which are untold to them and that make them wonderful. As I continually observe my nephew who appears to

Human beings are nature’s most incredible creation, and early childhood is the crucial period, where the foundation for his/her future is going to be established. The period of the Absorbent Mind (Birth to Six years) along with the Sensitive periods, plays a significant part in the development of movement, language and social skills of the child.