Question

Socio-Emotional Development Compare the major developmental theories you have become familiar with from readings and content from Lesson 6. Compose thoughtful answers to the following "developmental difficulties." Explain how you would use your understanding of one of the major theories (focusing particularly on Piaget and Erikson) to deal with each of the difficulties listed below more constructively. 1. A well-intentioned, but meddling, relative comes to visit the weekend before your child's first birthday, in April. She cautions you that you must be spoiling the child, because he hides behind your leg and clings to you when she tries to give him a hug, and he did not do this when she visited at New Year's. How will you explain what is happening with your child? 2. Your three-year old constantly drives you nuts with attention-seeking behaviors while you are on the phone. 3. Your infant daughter puts everything in her mouth, including the dog's food. 4. Your eight-year old son is failing math; all he cares about is baseball. 5. Your eight-year old son is failing P.E. and growing obese; all he cares about is Nintendo. 6. Your teenager has decided not to attend college in favor of joining the stage crew for a touring rock band. 7. Your nine-year old son is being victimized by the class bully. 8. Your nine-year old son IS the class bully. (NOTE: Pay close attention to the difference between the scenarios described in Questions 7 and 8.) 9. Your two-year old daughter refuses to wear the clothes you pick for her every morning, making getting dressed a twenty-minute pitched battle. 10. Your thirty-six-year old friend is showing symptoms of the classic "mid-life crisis," buying a

11. Your sixty-eight-year old neighbor is chronically depressed, feeling she has wasted her life.

Answer 1

1) The child (about 1 year old), belongs to the "Trust vs. mistrust" stage (birth-1 and a half year) of Erikson's psychosocial stages of development. In this stage the child is beginning to know the world and seek their primary caregivers as a support system, when they are scared or dubious about someone or the world. This is the reason that the child is hiding behind her mother's legs when approached by the relative. They are learning to develop trust in this world this way.

2) This is because the 3 year old belongs to the "Initiative vs. guilt" stage (3-5 years) of Erikson's psychosocial stages of development. In this stage the child engage in various activities as they are growing and learning rapidly about the world. They try to initiate activities with peers and parents and want to feel purposeful or have some purpose. When they engage is many such activities, they might be considered by adults as overactive or 'driving them nuts'. Here, the child wants to affirm herself, therefore, engages in attention seeking behaviour. Therefore, the parent must not get irritated by the child's behaviour or criticise or punish them because that might make them face guilt for initiating behaviours. They should be patient with child's behaviour and guide them in better direction to give them the virtue of 'purpose'.

3) The infant daughter belongs to the "sensory motor" stage (0-2 years) of Piaget's cognitive development theory. In this stage, the child explore the world and learn about it through their senses. They touch, taste, suck, grasp whatever they find to understand it. Therefore, the infant daughter here, puts everything in her mouth, including the dog's food. The only thing a parent can do here, is put away those things which might harm the child, out of her reach and let her explore the world with safer things for her sensory stimulation.

4) This eight year old belongs to the "Industry vs. inferiority" stage (5-12 years) of Erikson's psychosocial stages of development. In this stage, though the child learns to read and write, they also learn other activities. The peer group gains more importance in their life during this stage. They do activities that might make them gain praises from the society as well as peers and make them feel accomplished or competent. Therefore, the eight year old son can be encouraged with praises and positive remarks whenever he sit down to study maths or achieve slight improvement. This will help them gain a virtue of competence slowly.