My Baby Development "Book"
Austin C Kinder
Development:
Table of Contents
- Prenatal ~ section 3
- Childhood ~ sections 4-14
- Adolescence ~ section 15
- Adulthood ~ section 16
3) Prenatal Development: Progress Before Birth (during pregnancy)
- Germinal stage = first 2 weeks > ZYGOTE
-development begins soon after conception - Embryonic stage = 2 weeks - 2 months > EMBRYO
-normal cognitive and physical development occurs - Fetal stage = 2 months - birth > FETUS
-brain increases rapidly in size
Funny Pregnancy Story: Mom went to the hospital because she thought she was going into labor, but when she got there, she was told by the receptionist that she was to go and wait in the waiting room. After around 45min of waiting, she went back to the same lady and said, "I'm still 'waiting' for the nurse" to which the receptionist responded, "Honey, if you waited that long, you are not in labor." The receptionist finally conceded and had a nurse see mom; indeed, mom was in labor, and I would be born a short nine hours later.
4) Infancy & Childhood: Reflexes of the Neonate
- Grasping/Palmer Reflex: when an object is brushed across the hand of an infant, the fingers instinctively close with a semi-firm grasp
- Rooting Reflex: infant will turn their head in the direction of anything that brushes their cheek (assists in breastfeeding)
- Sucking Reflex: child instinctively sucks on anything that touches the roof of their mouth
- Swallowing Reflex: a child instinctively swallows once their mouth is full
- Babinski Reflex: when the bottom of the foot is irritated with a sharp-ish object, the big toe will flex upward while the other four go down... this is sign of harmless nerve damage in the foot
- Moro Reflex: upon being startled, infants will tense up, throwing arms and legs in all directions and jerk their heads and torsos to and fro.
- As a young child, I did all of these reflexes consistently. I was very "normal" according to social norms.
5) Infancy & Childhood: Temperament
- temperament: a person's behavioral pattern; especially what permanently alters behavior
My temperament: I was an easy child. *As a "little-guy," I could fall asleep anywhere regardless of noise or companionship. The only thing I required was my "rag," a cloth diaper. Mom say that the interesting part was that I was content with any of a dozen "rags;" I didn't discriminate between plain ones, colored ones, or ones with appliques.
******Pictured here is me in the streets of New York... TOTALLY ASLEEP!!!
6) Infancy & Childhood: Attachment
- attachment: a strong bond between the primary caregivers and the baby
- I didn't really care who I was with (*see pictures below*)... If there ever was a preference, I preferred my mother over my father.
- imprinting: to come to a sense of trust with another object, often the first object seen after birth... My attachment is not supported by this theory
- I was attached to my "rags." I would not go to sleep without them. I held them and I bit them, clenching my teeth down on them so as not to lose it... I would NOT, however, take a "passie."
7) Infancy & Childhood: Jean Piaget - Stage theory of Cognitive Development
- cognitive development: gaining intelligence and advancing the skills of thinking and problem-solving from birth through adolescence
1) Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years old)
- What is the baby able to do? *Children are able to set a goal for themselves (simple like "get that toy")
- I was always trying to 'throw' and 'fetch' "TURTLE"! It was a sort of love/hate-relationship. My parents recall me to have repeatedly "fuss" at or with my plush turtle, a soft, ring-shaped, teething-toy.
8) Infancy & Childhood: Language Development
- First word: "mommy"
- Funny sounds/phrases: '99 "C'mere Dammit" (come here Bandit, my dog)
- telegraphic speech: speech using two-word phrases
- My telegraphic speech: Jan '00 "Cawwy you" (carry me), Feb '00 "O gosh" (hundreds of times repeatedly), Jun '00 "go potty"
9) Infancy & Development: Physical Development
- Sitting up: around 6 months (picture at 6 months)
- First tooth: 4 months
- First steps: 13 months
10) Infancy & Childhood: Jean Piaget - Stage Theory of Cognitive Development
2) Preoperational Stage (2-7 years old)
- a child can establish a goal and look forward into the future as to how to achieve the goal... a child becomes very particular
- I played with matchbox cars / hot wheels, and I would "park" them one per 2in plank of hardwood flooring and sort them into piles of straight drivers and crooked (when I rolled them if they weren't straight-enough [staying in the lane of wood] I got angry).
- I was completely fascinated with machinery. But, I wanted to know their "proper names." One day, when I was three, I dazzled an old guy when he overheard me tell my mother to look at the Chinook (double-bladed helicopter) flying overhead.
11) Infancy & Childhood: Jean Piaget - Stage Theory of Cognitive Development
- the child becomes creative and inventive with toys and games
- LEGOS!!! I loved "building toys." Lincoln-Logs, plain blocks, Gears-gears-gears... My pappy even gave me my own tools and toolbox.
12) Infancy & Childhood: Zone of Proximal Development
- Lev Vygotsky's Theory on the Zone of Proximal Development: determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers
- My story: I became really comfortable with all adults; when I was 6 months old through 1 year old, I lived in my grandparents's house... So it was me and a bunch of adults. The end-result was my vocabulary; there wasn't really baby-talk (googoo gaga), so I quickly began speaking in small phrases.
13) Infancy & Childhood: Jean Piaget - Stage Theory of Cognitive Development
- think in an abstract manner, the ability to combine and classify items in a more sophisticated way, and the capacity for higher-order reasoning
- adolescent egocentrism: belief that others of the same age are attentive to your behavior
- I always poise myself a little more around my peers hoping to set a moral standard for them; especially the ones that really need it.
- adolescent "personal fable": belief that you are the only thing like you and that you are the most interesting thing that ever walked the earth.
- I don't really consider myself all that unique... I don't ever just feel so conceded as to believe that there never was someone like me.
- adolescent imaginary audience: belief that multitudes of people are avidly watching / listening to whatever you are doing
- I don't really like being the center of attention... I was never shy but I don't like being the very middle of all attention. It bothers me a little to even consider the idea that I ever thought in this way... I can't think of a time when I did this.
14) Infancy & Childhood: Parenting Styles
- Authoritarian: strict rules, harsh punishment, and little affection
- Permissive (Laissez-Faire): parents are responsive to their children but lack rules and discipline for wrong-doings
- Authoritative: sets limits but reasons with kids; responsive to emotional needs, but firm in set rules and disciplines
- I prefer the permissive style... I'd rather be in charge of my own decisions without the interventions of my parents
- My parents possess the authoritative style of parenting. I sometimes become frustrated by not being allowed to do what I wanted, but generally I have been made more responsible.
15) Adolescence: Personality Development
- identity vs. role confusion (ages 13-18): the child struggles to establish their own identity versus trying to fit in with a pre-established social group that they wish to become a part of
- intimacy vs. isolation (ages 18-30): The child tries to discern between a life of commitment versus a life to solitude
- These are the hardest stages to conquer due to their freedoms... There are no set ideals to follow in order to establish yourself. In high school, I have had a successful relationship both 'intimately' and just friendly with my pals. I have enjoyed establishing myself as an individual and fitting in with the group.
16) Adulthood
- generativity vs. stagnation (mid-adulthood: 40s-50s): developing a sense of becoming a part of the "bigger picture"
- integrity vs. despair (old age: 60s and up): during retirement, we look back on our life and determine whether or not it was a success or time wasted, which allows you to choose whether or not it allows for a sense of integrity or despair
- During the first of these two stages, I hope to be leading a successful life as a father of two healthy children and a lovely wife and have a successful job which supports us. I wish to be happy and content with what I do and to lead a life as a role model for my kids. During the second of the two stages, I hope to look back and be proud of everything I did. I hope to be a happy and exciting grandfather for my grandkids.