| Age | What most babies or young children do at this age: Social skills | Ways cultural and linguistic differences can influence development or growth at this age: | Families should talk to a pediatrician about development or concerns if: |
| Birth to 3 months | Cry when hungry or feel pain. Begin to smile at people. Try to look at people. | According to Valdivia (1999), “many culturally diverse parents explained their child’s condition as a combination of biomedical and sociocultural or folk beliefs” (para. 20). For example, family eating and sleeping processes affect babies’ growth. | Do not react to parents’ voice or face. Do not sleep most of the time. |
| 3-6 months | Know familiar faces and begin to understand if someone is a stranger. Like to play with others, especially parents. Cry to be attended. Laugh out loud. | Family traditions and beliefs are likely to affect development of social skills at this stage. | Do not respond to other people’s emotions and often seem to be unhappy. Do not stop crying if they are attended. |
| 6-12 months | Shy or nervous with strangers. Cry when mom or dad leaves. Have favorite things and people. Repeat sounds or actions to get attention. Look with interest at their image in a mirror. Become more aware of themselves. Begin to respond to their names. | The relationships between family members serve for children as a guide to development of their social skills (Bergeson, Wise, Gill, & Shureen, 1999). | Do not show a marked preference for parents. Do not use voice to attract others. |
| 12-18 months | Can be afraid of strangers but interested in them. Show affection to familiar people. Point to show others something interesting. Explore the world alone but with parents standing nearby. Understand “no”. Can be emotionally changeable and unstable. Develop a sense of “me” and “mine”. Tend to be intensely sociable and curious. | Family independence and sociability perception matter at this stage. In addition, communication styles accepted within the family, emotional issues, and a level of information sharing are important. | Do not try to establish themselves as members of a social group. Do not show a tendency to independence from parents. Are not sociable enough. |
| 18 months to 2 years | Copy others, especially adults and older children. Get excited when playing with other children. Show defiant behavior (doing what they have been told not to). Demand immediate attention of parents. Sometimes have tantrums if their needs stay unattended. Are capable of loving. Join to others when they tell a simple story, sing, or dance. | Childress (2014) states that voice can be ignored in meeting needs due to cultural peculiarities. It can include complete care of children so that they have no need to vocalize their expectations. | Do not try to be independent and perform some basic actions alone. Have tantrums too often. Do not show a desire to join others. |
| 2-3 years | Show affection for friends without prompting. Show concern for a crying friend. Understand the idea of “mine” and “his” or “hers”. Reflect their experience in play with toys. Share their toys. | Language abilities depend on parental socialization expectations. | Cannot wait for their needs to be met without tantrums. |
| 3-5 years | Want to please friends. Become more likely to agree with rules. Like to sing, dance, and move. Are aware of their gender. Can tell what is real and what is make-believe during a game. Show more independence. Tend to be cooperative. Can argue with parents. | The quality of social interaction depends not only on parental perceptions but also on peer interaction that varies in different cultures (Chen, 2009). | Cannot play in a group with other children. Are uncertain in their actions and desires. |
| 5-8 years | Engage in more complex social play. Show a strong sense of ‘’gender-appropriate” behavior. Understand the simple reasons behind rules and their importance. | “Children in societies where extended families live together in traditional styles tend to display more prosocial-cooperative behavior than children in economically complex societies with class structures” (Chen, 2009, p. 4). | Do not understand their gender. Are not capable of following simple rules and communicating with peers. |
References
Bergeson, T., Wise, B. J., Gill, D. H., & Shureen, A. (1999). Evaluation and assessment in early childhood special education: Children who are culturally and linguistically diverse. Web.
Chen, X. (2009). Culture and early socio-emotional development. Web.
Childress, D. (2014). Are cultural differences truly developmental delays? Web.
Valdivia, R. (1999). The implications of culture on developmental delay. Web.