Emotional and social development of children at the age of 8-10 is geared towards adolescence (Murray, 2015). At this stage, peer friendship becomes more vital in their social and emotional development. These children begin to have a sense of independence and a certain level of confidence to solve problems and take risks. The children at this stage also develop self-evaluation capacity and at times laugh at themselves for unknown reasons.
The child I observed playing had a number of these characteristics as he belongs to the same age group of transition from a child to adolescence.
The child was able to share play items with his fellow children. He played games with a group and disliked being alone. He enjoyed group activities and could not even dare to move away from the playing group. Within the group, the child showed traits of handling peer pressure. A skill such as problem-solving was also evident in this child. He embraced sports activities and highly appreciated winning and losing in the games they were playing gracefully. This child was eager to know procedures on how certain activities are performed. He showed competence in whatever he did. This was indeed more interesting since this child wanted to be the best and outshine the others in whatever play they performed. Within the observation time, I was quick to learn that this child’s behavior is shaped by rewards and punishment. This is explained by B.F Skinner in his developmental theory of children’s behavior.
In all the above scenarios, the child behavior can be explained in a mixture of the child developmental theories by Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson among others. When the child showed self-confidence by interacting with his peers, truly this was in line with Erik Erikson psychological, developmental theory. Erikson believed that, at the age of 5 - 11, children begin to assert their powers to the world (Brazelton & Greenspan, 2000).
This is done through play, and another diverse social interaction was making them feel the ability to lead others. At the same time, when the child showed a more realistic appreciation of what was realistic and possible in the course of their play; Sigmund Freud called this; the individual ‘Ego.' His argument goes further when he says that children develop a quick urge to learn values and morals which he called ‘Superego.' In this case, the child I observed was able to share play items among his friends- evidenced by this prominent psychologist. When the child I observed was able to follow rules for the games they played, it was clear from this point that we cannot isolate the argument of another great psychologist-Jean Piaget. Piaget resolved that children development at ages 7-10 is facilitated by the ability to mentally solve problems. They also understand better, besides following rational rules. Jean Piaget called this ‘preoperational stage.'
It is evident that some of these psychologists have put forward a number of theories explaining how the child grows, behaves and generally respond to various stimuli within the environment (Papalia, 1995). While not all stated theories are taken as true and accepted, these great thinkers have had important influences and contribution in explaining children’s behavior. It is indeed prudent to acknowledge their findings in the field of psychology and general science.
In relation to the subject of study, the child’s growth and behavior have to be monitored closely by the parents. This is because the child has to get into good association as he gets into peers. There is a need for encouraging the child to have healthy relationships with his peers. This is an important aspect in the child social development. Parents should develop a habit of talking to their children daily so as to be aware of any trouble the child may be facing.
References
Brazelton, T. B., & Greenspan, S. I. (2000). The irreducible needs of children: What every child must have to grow, learn, and flourish. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Pub.
Murray, J. (2015). Early childhood pedagog ies : spaces for young children to flourish. Early Child Development and Care, 185(11-12), 1715-1732. doi:10.1080/03004430.2015.1029245
Papalia, D. E. (1995). A child's world: Infancy through adolescence. New York: McGraw-Hill.
