Introduction
In chapters 8 and 9 of the book Child and adolescent development in your classroom: Chronological Approach, children’s unclear cognitive and social development during their early childhood development phase are further explained. Various guidance themes important for children’s growth are defined by elaborate concepts addressed in the chapters. In connection to emotional development in children’s early childhood development, Chapter 8 describes the functions of emotions, self-system, self-control, effective discipline, and parental style. On the other hand, chapter 9 discusses how social development is related to morals, conduct, physical activity, and media influence. Thus, this discussion aims to illustrate how some of my past experiences correlate with the book’s topics.
Chapter 8
According to the book, children tend to comprehend the need to control their emotions when they are young, starting to show signs of self-awareness in response to their environment. However, because children at this age are still learning to control their emotions, the outcomes might vary depending on their environment (Colliver & Veraksa, 2022). Indeed, the four-year-old boy who lives next door to me fell once but did not cry because his caregiver was not there. However, when the child’s caregiver is around, the boy tends to cry to obtain help. By using this analogy, one demonstrates that children at this age can control their emotions when they realize they will not be able to get the help they need.
In contrast, the book characterizes parental care as the essential concept that affects young children’s emotional development. Children’s emotional intelligence differs depending on the type of parental supervision they receive due to the use of approaches to teaching concepts of self-control through suitable and effective disciplinary actions when determining their emotional intelligence (Bergin & Crosbergin, 2019). The book explains why parents must establish efficient guidance mechanisms for their children’s emotional development.
Chapter 9
Depending on the behavior they already exhibit or have evolved during their early childhood development phase, every child behaves differently in social situations. They might gradually alter or acquire pre-existing behaviors as they continue developing through their lifespan (Catalano et al., 2020). The following personal experience shows how children develop socially during their early childhood development phase, illustrating the topics discussed in Chapter 9.
Back in preschool, because I was comparatively anti-social and had a little frame compared to other kids, I attracted bullies who habitually gave me wedges during mid-day breaks. Although reporting the incidents to teachers was an option, I was hesitant to do so because I would later face punishment from the bullies. After seeing a TV program on how to deal with bullies, a swing of my backpack that caused a bully to start somewhat sobbing and bleeding signaled a turning point that ended the bullying behavior from the other bullies. Nevertheless, despite my ability to repel bullies, a visit to the principal’s office with my caretaker demonstrated the wrongness of my acts, leading to sanctions from my parents and the school.
My analysis of the scene in light of the cognitive development theory of the mind suggests that my slow mental growth caused my failure to confront the bullies. However, after minimizing my retaliation against the bullies, my behavior in approaching the conflict shows my moral justification development. Being an introvert, I understood that my lack of friends made me a target for bullies. Nevertheless, I could influence an activity that matched my judgment by imitating behaviors I copied from media platforms (TV). Based on this comparison, it is clear how important social development is for children regarding morals, behavior, physical activity, and media influence.
Conclusion
In summation, the reflection on Chapters 8 and 9 helped me structure my thoughts and better understand the concepts and ideas articulated by the authors. Child development at the early stages of life involves obtaining emotional self-control, moral judgment, and social behavior skills. The thorough analysis of my experiences informed by the chapters’ arguments allowed for connecting the knowledge on child development I obtained with the real-world situations I witnessed.
References
Bergin, D. A. & Crosbergin, C. A. (2019). Child and adolescent development in your classroom: Chronological approach. Cengage.
Catalano, R. F., Hawkins, J. D., Kosterman, R., Bailey, J. A., Oesterle, S., Cambron, C., & Farrington, D. P. (2020). Applying the social development model in middle childhood to promote healthy development: Effects from primary school through the 30s and across generations. Journal of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology, 7, 66–86.
Colliver, Y., & Veraksa, N. (2022). Vygotsky’s contributions to understandings of emotional development through early childhood play. In The Influence of Theorists and Pioneers on Early Childhood Education (pp. 38-52). Routledge.