preview

Naturalistic Observation

Decent Essays

NATURALISTIC OBSERVATION Naturalistic Observation St. Paul’s School of Nursing It’s Saturday afternoon and I am sitting here in a very crowded food court at the Staten Island mall. I will be observing a young boy about the age of 3 and I will name him Chris. Chris is sitting with his mom and with them is another little boy who seems about the same age as Chris and I assume the other woman is his mom. Chris is the most adorable looking boy with dark black hair and big dark eyes. He is sitting next to his mom and the other boy is sitting right across from him. I’m assuming that this is a play date …show more content…

I caught his mom wink at the other mom as if to show victory. That’s always a great feeling in my perspective. , I then noticed that Chris was trying to tie his shoelace. His mom grabbed his foot and started to tie it for him. Chris quickly pulled his foot back and said, “No, I do it!” She allowed him to, but he was definitely struggling with it and wasn’t giving up. This shows that Chris was in Erick Erickson’s stage called initiative-versus-guilt stage. This is where children face conflicts between the desire to act independently of their parents and the guilt that comes if they don’t succeed. . (Feldman, R. S. 2009, Page 179). Even though he was struggling, his mom did give him time to try. Erickson states that parents who react positively can help their children resolve these opposing feelings. By providing their children with opportunities to act self-reliantly, parents can support their children’s initiative. On the other hand, parents who discourage their children’s independence may contribute to a sense of guilt that persists throughout their lives and affects their self-concept. . (Feldman, R. S. 2009, Page 179). Eventually, Chris stuck his foot out to his mom so she can tie it for him. After a few minutes, Chris’ mom stood up and was putting on her jacket. Chris immediately turned to her and asked, “We go home now?” As she nodded a yes to him, he quickly began to put on his jacket. This is characteristic to

Get Access