Growth from Child to Adulthood - Essay Example

Running head: Human Growth & Development Essay Human Growth & Development Essay [Insert Names of Author(s) here] [Insert Institution information here] Human Growth & Development Essay Introduction This paper is constructed to serve as a research paper on the further explanation of a child’s human development through his or her lifespan. This paper tends to explain the different factors that affect’s a child’s development during his growth such as his or her emotional and social development factors which includes the family dynamics especially on how the parents rear their children. In addition to this, certain environmental factors or stressors are also elaborated to further understand the possible effect of such idea to a child’s proper human development; mentally, socially, and emotionally. Children’s growth from a child to adulthood is a very sensitive matter, for people to understand and be knowledgeable about the proper rearing of children, this paper will help figure out all the activities that a child involves with during their development and what are those that influences them as well as what they should avoid. The crucial part on a certain child’s development is when he or she explores his or her environment wherein there are a lot of environmental factors that could drag or influence the children on doing certain things triggered by their curiosity brought by their young age. These topics and matters are all that this paper is concerned with. Thesis On a child’s development through his or her lifespan, there are lots of factors which take their attention and easily impose influence on them. The most affected aspect of a certain child’s development which made it crucial for their age to be reared improperly is their emotional and social aspect of development where they learn to face the world and meet other people. This stage of development is said to be the most attention needing development on a child turning into adult’s life. Social Development As children grow up and have their opportunity to face the real world, their social skills and learning widen and sometimes are influenced by lots of environmental factors. The behavior towards this development depends on the kind of people or surrounding that a certain child is under to (Ralph L. Mosher, 1999). This explains the example that if a child grew up in a social environment wherein his or her parent are both irresponsible and substance abusive, the tendency is that, the child will also turn out to be like what he or she saw from his or her parents. Different Social Factors *Family  where children learn to discipline their selves before interacting with other people or before searching for friends. Family is the very first social environment which a child involves from, the parents are the ones who rear their children and teaches them with what is right and/or wrong, they also the ones who tend to help the child to be knowledgeable about the social life even before the child starts to go to school and interact with other people such as their classmates and their teachers (Ralph L. Mosher, 1999) On the other hand, the siblings in the family are the ones who tend to be the role model of those younger ones whom the younger ones tend to imitate. Because the younger ones are still in the midst of further development, they have the perception that the older ones do the right action and that they are to do the same (Ralph L. Mosher, 1999). *Friends  second primary people who are one of the most that influence certain adolescent As a certain children grow, they tend to search for a companion who could accompany them whenever they needed someone to talk with or to spend time with which they call as friends. Friends are those who tend to serve as an inspiration and/or strength to those young adults who are experiencing difficulties with family, academics and even other personal matters. They are influential especially when it comes to involving with physical activities and studies (Ralph L. Mosher, 1999). *Peers  influences a certain adolescent to be involved in an either bad or good activity Peers are usually a group of considered friends wherein a certain adolescent or child gets involve with in order being in with the present activities and or styles hence they are much more influential than that of friends. Peers are the one who influence a child to join activities such as clubs or certain organization who has unique characteristics (Ralph L. Mosher, 1999). In addition to this, they are the ones who could influence a certain person on using abusive substances such as the following: Drugs Alcohol Cigarette Cocaine Marijuana These said substances could lead into life-ruining results such as to getting involved with premarital intercourse, stealing, committing murder, and worst is suicide. On the other hand, peers could also be a source of good outcome if they are the type who gets involved with activities such as sports and academical group studies. *Activities  where a certain child involves him or her self in order to enjoy and explore his or her development stage (Ralph L. Mosher, 1999). This factor involves the following: Sports Adventures Group leisure Leadership activities/training and others These said factors are the primary factors that affect a certain child’s development socially and even emotionally. This can be explained by the social cognitive development which explains that a certain child bases his or her perception of enjoyment, adventure, right or wrong and even models that he or she can imitate basing with his or her socio-environment. Emotional Development People develop their emotional capability regarding with their age. As children grow older, they become more curious and sensitive about matters which they are not allowed to do. Adolescents tend not to understand clearly why parents usually don’t allow them to hang out with certain peers or do certain activities which they really want to try out of their curiosity. Regarding this, Dacey and Traverse explained through their work that a certain child develops and goes under lots of changes wherein a child develops their Id, Ego, and Super Ego which regulates their willing power or feelings towards things. The Id drags or triggers a certain person’s emotion or feelings towards doing the things he or she wants to do while the super ego regulates the id from doing even the negative activities and the ego is the middle of both drives. This is according to the unconscious stage of the Psychoanalytic theory basing on Dacey and Travers’ explanation (John S. Dacey, 2004). Another which could explain why children tends to be uncontrollable when it comes to their will is because of Egocentrism which explains that since a certain child does not seem to care about other’s perception, therefore he or she tends to do and follow what he think is right according to him or her self (John S. Dacey, 2004). There are certain stages wherein anger can be considered according to the human development theories such as: *Frustration and appeal to authority  This explains that if a certain child fails to overcome the stage wherein authority vs. shame and doubt is development, then it would result into frustration and feeling of being upset wherein the child’s appeal to his or her guardian’s authority is said to be dependent. *Impulsive acting out  This explains the emotional state wherein a certain child only reacts without tending to reason out him or her self. This is felt by the child if he wonders why he can’t do a certain thing or why do certain things happen the way they do. *Objection and Appeal to obtain Fairness  Children tend to be emotionally affected and get angry when they are not allowed to do what they want. They would think that their parents restrict them from doing such activities because the latter don’t want them to be happy or their parents were just unfair. With this kind of situation, children tend to reason out basing on the reciprocity of the abstract. *Conflict over autonomy  This explains the emotion where a child feels that he or she needs to do what she or he wants or to be wherever he or she wanted to be. This is somehow relative to the explanation of identity vs. role confusion which states that in this development, a certain child needs to learn and explore what he or she really want in order to enhance him or her self and be knowledgeable about his or her capabilities. The child may reason out that she or he needs to learn this or that and that he or she have the right to do so in order to further develop him or herself (John S. Dacey, 2004). These elaborated anger and reasoning are a product of the child’s learning theory development on the emotional aspect. This explains that the children learn to reason out and understand things through conditioning which is basically related to ego. The emotion that the children feel whenever they felt that they are being refused instead of being followed sometimes cause them to be hard headed and rebellious. Children usually tend to join those peers where they are to use abusive drugs or substances, get involved with activities such as dating and having premarital intercourse, and doing other negative activities just to rebel from their parents although Dacey and Travers said that children do not always come up to that kind of result whenever they are being opposed from what they desired or wanted to do (John S. Dacey, 2004). Parenting Styles Since the parents are the one whom they children imitates and idolizes, the children’s attitude towards society and emotion is basically a product of the parents’ different parenting styles. Regarding this, Dacey and Travers elaborated three different parenting styles which parents usually follow: Authoritarian style This explains that a parent rears their child through being demanding and strict towards what they want instead of considering the child’s own preferences. In addition to this, whenever there is misunderstanding or conflict between the parent and the child, the child is therefore not allowed to reason out him or her self whether it is his or her fault (John S. Dacey, 2004). Authoritative style This explains the style of parenting where parents tend to be responsive to their children’s preferences and needs. Whenever the parents restrict their children from doing such an activity, they make sure that they logically and clearly explain themselves why they needed to restrict the child from doing such thing (John S. Dacey, 2004). Permissive style This type of style explains that the parents tend to be seemingly carefree towards their child’s decision makings and activity involvements. They do not tend to give any restrictions as well as punishment (John S. Dacey, 2004). Discussion Children undergoes in a crucial development during their lifespan especially when they get to interact with the social world, in this matter, parents should explain them rationally why they tend to refuse the children’s wants whenever they tend to restrict the younger ones from doing such activities and that they are only doing it for the younger ones’ betterment. Parents should explain the consequences of each and every mistake of the actions that the child intends to do in order to void them from doing so and to approach them in an appropriate manner. Since family is the basic social factor that influences the adolescents, they should be responsible on rearing their children according to the right principles of parenthood. Conclusion It has been proven that children are easily persuaded by the influential factors in their environment, in order to for the parents so as to the children to cope up with this difficult stage of development during their lifespan, parents should guide their children and rear them with the most effective type of parenting style which is the authoritative style as it was suggested by Dacey and Travers. Parents should also be sensitive and understanding towards their children during this development stage in order to avoid conflicts. References  Dacey J. S, Travers J. F. (2004). Human Development across the Lifespan (5th ed.): McGraw-Hill. Mosher R.L, D. J.M, Youngman D. J. (1999). Human Development across the Life Span: Educational and Psychological IAP.  Read More