Key Windows in Children’s Psychological Development
Key Windows in Children’s Psychological Development
January 24, 2022
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No matter their age, children are always learning and growing. They are discovering new things, developing new ideas and skills, and learning to apply them to their everyday life.
While always learning, children develop in windows of time. This is the reason why a two-year-old is not learning the same things as a seven-year-old, and why a seven-year-old is a lightyear behind a fourteen-year-old.
Children’s brains and bodies are at different levels of function and maturity at different age windows. Parents must be aware of these developmental windows and plan education and childcare accordingly.
This post will give an overview of each developmental window from birth to the age of fourteen, telling parents what to expect from their children for each window.
Windows in Child Development
From birth to the teenage years, children develop more rapidly than at any other time in their life.
Here is what to expect of your child in each developmental window.
Birth to 18 months
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Babies in this window will make a myriad of observations based on their five main senses.
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Parents should stimulate their babies’ senses, without overwhelming them.
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Help your baby safely explore their new world.
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In this time frame, babies will discover what they can do with their voices, hands, and feet.
18 months to 2 years
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In this time, children cease to be babies and start to define themselves as people.
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The focus should be placed on imagination and vocabulary.
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Children will want to be involved with everything – try to reduce the number of accidents they are involved in.
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This is the perfect time to explore a variety of interests with your child.
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Your child will start to develop their personality, so correct any negative behavior.
3 to 5 years
- Children begin to learn numbers, letters, shapes and basic directions.
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Life starts to get very busy in this time frame.
6 to 8 years
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In this time, a real social life outside of family begins to develop.
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Homework, high emotions, and physical activity become the focus of life.
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This is an important time for developing academic habits and proper athletic activities.
9 to 11 years
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From 9 to 11, maturity will be volatile. Some will still act like small children while others will begin to act very maturely.
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Puberty starts for many children sometime in this window.
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Children will begin to think logically and real tasks, like mowing grass or baking, begin to become options.
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Curiosity about the nature of life will begin to arise.
11 to 14 years
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Puberty will begin for all children in this stage.
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The mind and body will change rapidly. Emotions will become more diverse and harder to control.
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Life will become very chaotic and planning for any given day will be difficult.
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Children will start to become more self-sufficient and want to do things on their own.
Keeping Kids on Track
Parents often worry themselves about their children’s development. Is my child on the right path? Did I do a good job raising them? Is there something they need that I have not given them?
These are all common questions that parents have every day.
It is important to remember that while child development falls into windows, not every child will develop at the same rate. There is no reason for alarm if your child is less mature than other children in their age range, they may be a late bloomer.
Issues only arise when children are missing clear developmental skills. At that point, outside help is needed.
If your child is lagging, then individual or family therapy may be the solution. Reach out to Child Focus to see which option is best for you and your child. Child Focus is committed to putting your child’s health first to ensure they grow into healthy, well-adjusted adults.