Children learn about their identities from a very tender age. This happens by default as the society defines the way this is done. A good example is that of Rebecca in the book Child Development: Principles and Perspectives by Joan Littlefield Cook, children will tend to conform to what society expects of them and therefore as they grow up, year after year, they will want to fit in to the groups they relate within they society they live in. The way the care givers handle the many questions that come from these children greatly contributes to their identity and so, caregivers and parents to a huge extent determine what their children become.
Normally the rules of cognitive, biological and social development are set by the environment that a child finds themselves in. The sociocultural environment is what gives a child their personality and so therefore needs to do so in a manner that does not divide the child between their childhood, the unforeseen future and their present more so at adolescence. Children slowly get conscious awareness about their individual personalities and this is the critical role that parents should play in making them understand that not so much changes and that they should take the emotional, physical and psychological changes positively.
It is therefore imperative to take note of all the very important aspects that are necessary in shaping up the identity of a child. Everyone has a role to play and it is good that care is taken in an effort to bring up children who fit into society. Not that they should conform to everything and nothing but people who will find it difficult to fit. These children should be able to identify the self, the I- self and the me- self, fuse them and at the same time identify each separately for the good of their development in society.
Work Cited
Cook, J. L. Child Development: Principles and Perspectives (2nd Edition). Upper Saddle River: Pearson. 2009
