2.14 Answers to activities
Activity 2.2: Understanding stages of development
- The developmental stages of children can be grouped as follows:
| 0–2 years | 2–5 years | 6–10 years | Adolescence |
|---|---|---|---|
Cannot engage in purposeful activities Start to roll over from their back to their front Able to put 2–3 words into phrases Not yet able to engage more directly in social forms of play or interaction Begin to recognise and respond to their primary caregivers | Recognise letters and numbers, colours, shapes and textures Begin to ask questions – why, what, who? More able to control the use of their of hands and fingers Develop a sense of humour | Begin to understand and assert a sense of self Able to consider several parts to a problem or situation Become increasingly separate from parents and seek acceptance from teachers Become more involved with friends Still think in concrete terms | Sometimes moody and disengaged Have an emerging interest in sexual activity Desire for greater privacy Peer group can place an increasingly influential role on their lives Struggle with a sense of identity Develop the ability to think through the consequences of their actions |
- Go back to the answers you gave to the questions at the beginning of this study session. How accurate were you?
- The possible changes in parental relationships might include:
- adolescents becoming more critical of parents
- desire for greater privacy
- more arguments over behaviour and boundaries
- adolescents becoming more aware of their parents and potentially having greater understanding
- parents giving adolescents more responsibilities
- greater difference in parental attitudes towards boys and girls
- adolescents wanting to spend more time with peers than family.
It is often felt that adolescence is a period of great tension between parents and adolescents. However, it is important to recognise that as adolescents acquire greater skills and capacities, they also can provide an increasing source of support to their parents, if parents are able and willing to acknowledge their children’s right to greater independence and ability to take on more responsibilities for their own decision-making. Adults need to learn to listen to adolescents without judging them.
2.13 Self-assessment questions