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Development Over The Life Span From experience, all know that a newborn baby is quite different from a child. It is different in size, form, physical ability, mental acuity, and in countless other ways. Everyone realizes also that a child is different from an adolescent, an adolescent from an adult, and an adult from an octogenarian. These differences reflect developmental changes in a person.
They are part of the cycle of life. Neuroanatomists have established that the brain is not completely formed in the womb. The brain of the newborn baby continues to develop anatomically for the next two years. New brain cells appear, differentiate, and migrate to different areas of the brain during this period. Neuro-anatomists have established also that when an individual reaches eighteen, about fifty thousand cerebral-cortical cells wither and die each day during the rest of life. Recently we learned that the human brain has the capacity to develop new cells to replace dead ones.
Thus the process of growth, decline, and replacement in the brain is a part of the natural cycle of life. Furthermore, the upper part of the brain, the cerebral cortex, serves as a biological substrate for our personhood. The ancient Greek philosophers taught that all existing things have substance composed of form and matter. Aristotle, in his Metaphysics, noted that every thing that is has both being and essence. Being indicates an existence - that a thing is. Essence indicates a nature - which makes a thing what it is.
The Western philosophical tradition received another central metaphysical / ontological concept from the tradition of Aristotle and Aquinas. This is the notion of being that can account for both the reality of a particular essence and the changes that a particular being may undergo. In order to understand and to appreciate this dual dimension inherent in the structure of reality, we need to appreciate the importance of another pair of categories, namely potentiality and actuality. Potentiality and actuality bespeak the meaning both of the substance a particular being possesses and the changes a particular being undergoes.
A being can be defined in its essential form by its belonging to a particular genus or species. Yet within that reality, the form defined by its particular species and genus, a being may undergo profound changes. Thus, it should be seen not statically, as a being defined once and for all, but dynamically, full of potentialities to be developed historically. These basic metaphysical categories are helpful in understanding the status of the embryo. Kids do better when they have simple and reasonable boundaries. As early as age 2, if there are clear expectations about what is allowed and what is not, it prevents so many misunderstandings between parent and child or caregiver and child, and it makes children feel safe.
Consistency is key in how those boundaries are enforced and obviously as the child grows and develops, the boundaries change to suit their age. For example, I believe that if you are reasonable and consistent with your toddler, you can avoid the so-called terrible twos. At age 2, children start to become curious about the world around them. They want to explore and learn, but do not have the intelligence to know what is dangerous and what is safe. Establishing boundaries helps prevent tantrums, but there will always be battles. For better or worse, children look to their parents as their primary role models.
From how we deal with anger and stress to our eating and personal habits, consider that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Along the same lines of controlling stress and managing hectic schedules, is the need for designated quality time with your children, says Carole. There needs to be a time period during the day when your child or children have your undivided attention. A time when the television is off and the phone is ignored. A time when they feel like they can really talk to you and you will listen. The assurance and comfort to be able to really share and communicate builds confidence and trust between children and their parents.
In a world cluttered with electronic entertainment, its easy to get distracted and forget the simple pleasures in life. Its up to parents to control their childrens exposure to things that dont encourage learning while at the same time provide attractive options to explore, discover and succeed, comments Carole. The fact that a child may have a closet full of toys, yet they end up playing with a stick or box, speaks to the need for simple, imaginative play. Along with opportunities to learn should be the chance to experience success and positive reinforcement. By allowing your child to try new things and feel progress, you build their self confidence and self-esteem. Not being afraid of failure is an important virtue that can be easily taught through positive play, adds Carole.
To better understand why those first years of life are so critical from the perspective of learning potential, pediatric developmental specialist Laura Mc Guinn, MD, explains, Although babies are born with almost all of their nerves, or neurons, in the brain that they will need throughout life, most of the connections between the neurons are not yet in place. The connections allow the neurons to talk to each other; this communication between neurons is the basis of how our brains think and act throughout the rest of our lives. All the exciting new sensations a baby is experiencing sights, smells, sounds and human touch cause these connections to form at lightning speed after birth. Luckily, parents natural desires to cuddle and rock and talk to their baby provide exactly the right ingredients to stimulate growth of the neuronal connections, some 100 trillion by the time a child is 2 years old. Dr.
Mc Guinn notes that recently, ideas about how to stimulate babies brains to develop even faster have become available in the popular media. One such idea is that classical music played to very young infants helps them to become smarter than they would have been without the music. Unfortunately, she explains, research has not proven that these ideas are anything more than just gimmicks or moneymaking ventures. Fortunately, proof does exist that talking and reading to children improves their language skills.
Language is a key building block that children use to develop strong cognitive or thinking skills. Spending time reading and conversing with your infant will help her to develop to her maximum intellectual potential and a lifelong love of learning, explains Dr. Mc Guinn. The foundation for trust is built in those early months of life. As an infant experiences repeated episodes of responsiveness to his needs, neural connections that will last a lifetime are built. In one experiment, researchers demonstrated that infants who were deprived of regular parental contact and responsiveness had brains that were 20 to 30 percent smaller than those infants who had received appropriate nurturing.
There are so many ways to help a child grow. Gaining physical strength and confidence, as well as developing independence and trust, are all goals that are just as important as language and logic, she says. A great way to help a baby feel independent in their environment is to ensure that your house is a safe place for them to play. Dr. Mc Guinn adds that before the age of 1, babies are focused on trust and who is meeting their needs. As babies turn into mobile toddlers, their needs change.
They become less focused on how their needs are being met and more curious about the world around them and how it works, she says. Babies often make the transition from dependent to independent much more smoothly than their parents and caregivers do, says Mc Guinn. Parents need to read the cues of their children and respond appropriately. As they grow, keep in mind that their needs and desires change. Now enters the common sense.
While one might think that reading to a toddler or showing flash cards to a pre-schooler for an extended period of time may be a good tactic for increasing learning, consider their attention span, ability to sit still and stay focused. The secret is to keep it fun and interesting so that the child will continue to enjoy learning.
Free research essays on topics related to: neurons, cycle of life, connections, babies, boundaries
Research essay sample on Potentiality And Actuality Cycle Of Life Child
