The ability of a child to realize his/her full potential is influenced by genetic makeup (inborn traits), early socialization, socioeconomic factors, and early childhood experiences. During infancy and early child development, a child has four essential needs to an upright psychological development; the needs are psychical, psychological, opportunity to learn, and self-esteem (Robertson 23-45). This paper analyzes the essential needs for child development.
Physical needs
To grow upright, a child needs human basic needs like food, shelter, clothing and housing; this is likely to make the child feel comfortable with life and his mind relaxes to grow his/her potential. The physical needs need to be provided in an environment that is hospitable and nurturing, in order for them to facilitate an upright development and growth.
The people around the child have should be guiding and showing the child all spheres of life; for example a child at tender age has the ability to listen and reason, he can be explained why he has to change clothing after sometime. This strengthens the child psychological development.
Psychological needs
The family or the home that a child first grown in has the role of providing emotional and psycho-psychological wellbeing of the child; affection, consistency, quality interactions, security, trust, love , and care, the attributes assist in the growth of the child’s psychological mind setting.
Human personality , intelligence and ability to utilize ones full potential is influenced by genetic factors (inborn traits) and the factors of socialization that the child has been exposed to; the quality of the environment of growth is paramount in growing children with high mental strength and stable emotional standing.
A child’s emotions are believed to be shaped right from conception; the child has some hereditary traits from the parents and goes ahead after birth; the family should offer an environment that the child should offer an environment of healthy emotional development of the child (Robertson 23-67).
Opportunity to learn
Children should be given the chance to learn new things, learning is not limited to what the child is taught but the parent or the caregiver but there are numerous ways of creating a learning environment to the child.
The care giver should be leaving something unsolved and give the child the chance to use its mental power to seek a solution; this can be done by the use toy’s, playing stations, playing a hide and seek game with the child. If the child is of age, playing with other children of the same age or otherwise is crucial, it assists the child develop the mental power and intelligence necessary for full realization of its potential (Fabes 6-23).
Respect and self-esteem
Children are sensitive to the environment they are brought up in; they need to feel appreciated, loved, cared for, and respected. The family setting should offer a comfortable and relaxing environment to the child; this will grow the self-esteem of the child.
At birth, a child has some inborn strengths and weaknesses; it is upon the parent to grow the strengths and offer a favorable environment to make the child understand its weak points as well as how to avoid adverse effects from the weaknesses. Showing the child appreciation and affection helps in building the child’s confidence and self-esteem; with high self-esteem and confidence, realizing the child’s full potential is enhanced (Fabes 12).
Works Cited
Fabes, Richard. Emotions and the Family. New York: Routledge, 2003.
Robertson, Donald. The Philosophy of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy: Stoicism as Rational and Cognitive Psychotherapy. London: Karnac, 2010. Print.