Physical Characteristics Of Early Childhood

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Introduction

We have chosen the early childhood stage of human growth and development for our Lifespan development profile. The age group occurs roughly between the ages of two to seven. We have chosen early childhood main reason because there are remarkable growth and changes that occurs within this phase. In this developing phase, the child can express oneself physically, socially, emotionally and intellectually through play. Children seem to enjoy their everyday lives despite their limited range of skills and abilities. Watching a child develop new motor, cognitive, social, and language skills brings a sense of wonder and enjoyment to those who are taking care of the child. Following are some general characteristics of the early childhood:

For example, it includes movements such as throwing, jumping, running, and catching.

• Fine motor skills such as drawing a straight line and holding a pen also improve during early childhood drastically in the age 3 to 4.

There are number of factors that can affect a child’s physical development. Disease and disorders that affect physical development and skills among children include genetic disorders, environment, injuries, illness, and some neurological factors (Angela Oswalt, 2008). So, it is very important for parents and caregivers to take care of the child with proper ways and techniques to develop physical development.

Emotional development in early childhood

We can define emotional development as a child’s ability to regulate and control emotions and to form secure relationships with his/her peers, parents, and caregivers. Toddlers tend to have rapid mood swings. Child begins to create strong emotional bonds with his/her love ones during this stage. Following are the main characteristics of emotional development in early childhood:

• Children develop better understanding of emotions.

• Children gain a better understanding about the causes and consequences of

It directly affects his/her temperament.

• The child’s temperament can affect how they view themselves and their ability to successfully complete tasks (Angela Oswalt, 2008).

Emotional relationships with others during this stage are exhibited through the development of empathy and social competence. It is a very crucial development and it depends on the child’s relationship with his/her parents, siblings, peers, and caregivers.

Social development in early childhood

The term social development is inter-related with emotional development in the early childhood stage. Children learn social skills very early in life which determine their social competence. They interact more with other children and adults to learn social skills. Following are the main characteristics of social development in are in early childhood:

• The term “social development” includes formation of relationships with peers for children during early childhood.

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• The child begins to understand the concept of gender identification as one understand the difference between girls’ outfits and guys’