Temperament
Differences in a baby’s temperament or ways of responding to the world and new people are evident from the early months. Some respond to new objects quickly; others respond more slowly or not at all. Some travel easily from one adult to another; others insist on staying in their mother’s arms. Some are active; others are not. Some are easily soothed and welcome new experiences; others are hard to soothe and don’t like new experiences. Some laugh a lot; others don’t laugh very much. Parents need to learn how to respond sensitively to their children’s temperament and adjust to the baby’s signals.
By their first birthday, babies begin sharing activities and objects with others. They show an interest in other children and family members such as siblings and grandparents. They also raise their arms to be picked up by parents or caregivers and they like to play games.
One to Three Years
Toddlers aged one to three years become more independent. They learn language, become aware of themselves and the needs of others, and choose activities that interest them. By age two, children begin to develop patience, a senseof self control, and begin making friends. Kindness, nurturing, curiosity, creativity and cleverness appear over the next year. By about the age of three, all these character traits begin to define the child’s personality.
Behaviour
As parents impose rules and limits, often to protect the child’s safety, conflicts often occur. Toddlers who are upset and frustrated may respond by screaming, biting, hitting or having temper tantrums. These difficult behaviours tend to decrease as children’s verbal and social skills improve. This time is important for young children to learn to express emotions verbally instead of having tantrums, to negotiate instead of making demands, and reconcile with others after conflict. Learning these skills at this age means they are likely to be maintained throughout children’s lives.
Language learning
The ability to speak languages develops prior to the age of three. Children first express themselves using single words (“juice” for “I want juice”), then progress to two-word phrases (“want juice”) and then to three word (“I want juice.”) and more complex sentences (“I want juice in a red cup.”). Caregivers who repeat words, identify objects and ask frequent questions during this stage can improve language ability. Reading to children is also important for their early language development and learning to read.
Three to Five Years
As toddlers become more verbal and their imagination and empathy grow, they choose friends, form groups and cooperate to reach goals. All these skills are attained through unstructured play and by interacting with family members.
The importance of playing
Children learn to play on their own first or with adults. By age three, children spend much time playing next to other children and by age four, they are more skilled at playing in small groups of children. Some children prefer to play alone, while others are usually seen playing with small groups of children. Some children prefer more cognitive toys (e.g., puzzles, construction toys); others like to engage in pretend play (e.g., family roles, storekeepers, firefighters); others like to construct things (e.g., in art or with blocks). Other children prefer lots of physical activity and outdoor play. Sometimes, boys “play fight” or chase their friends, while laughing and giggling together.
Unstructured play enables children to imitate adults, improve motor skills, build confidence, develop creativity and learn to cooperate with their friends. Parents should provide children with lots of time for unstructured activities where children learn to guide their own play.
Conclusion
During the first five years of life, children learn to develop relationships with others, communicate, cooperate, make friends, and play. Caring parents and primary caregivers who understand these milestones can respond to children in ways that enhance learning, improve behaviour and lessen future emotional problems.
