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COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

This period is the preoperational period. The symbolic operation period is between 3-4 years old and the intuitive period is between 4-6 years old. The child is egocentric during this period. They play symbolic, constructive, solitary, parallel, and cooperative games. They can make one-way classifications. They engage in collective monologue. They can tell stories about their experiences. They have imaginary friends and can play games using their imagination. They exhibit animism, believing that moving objects are alive (they cannot distinguish between living and non-living things).

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FAMILIES

• Parents should not interfere with the child's play.

• If necessary, parents should talk to their child one-on-one after playtime.

• They should discuss the characteristics of events and objects, and introduce objects from multiple angles.

• Parents should listen to their child's speech and give them opportunities to express themselves verbally.

• They should introduce the concepts of living and non-living things to their child and explain why they are categorized as such.

• Having imaginary friends does not necessarily indicate any developmental or psychological problems. Imaginary friends can help children express themselves. Parents should not ridicule their child, ignore them, or distract their attention away from them.

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

During this period, the child is egocentric, but their communication skills have improved compared to the previous stage. They may not fully understand terms, idioms, cause-and-effect relationships, or temporal relationships. The development of language progresses in parallel with the amount of stimuli present during this stage.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FAMILIES

• During this stage, parents should pay close attention to the language of stimuli that contribute to their child's language development. For example, they should ensure that the speech in the cartoons their child watches on TV is appropriate.

• Parents should use proper Turkish words and sentences when speaking to their child and avoid speaking in dialects.

• They should expose their child to music and dance with them.

• Parents should listen to their child and gently correct any linguistic mistakes they make.

• When speaking to their child, parents should express their own feelings and ask about their child's feelings. These types of conversations contribute to the child's communication skills.

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

Language development begins with crying. Then, babbling, two-vowel syllables, repetition of syllables, three-vowel words, four-vowel words, and forming 2-3 word sentences follow.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FAMILIES

• Language is an indicator of cognitive development. The child learns actively by visually reinforcing the words he/she learns with objects.

• It is necessary to show the picture of the objects while introducing them to the child, to tell them simple stories, and to give them a chance to tell as well.

• Music is the most important way to support language development. Simple finger games also contribute significantly to children's language development.

PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT

These ages involve the oral stage. Children first gain the sucking reflex in this development. They want to recognize everything by mouth. If the mother provides the child's nutrition in a healthy way, trust develops in the child. It positively contributes to the child's development that the mother talks to the child constantly during this period. Toilet training should not be started before the age of 2 for the anus muscle development of the child to become appropriate.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FAMILIES

• The mother should provide the child's nutrition without delaying it and during this period, she should make eye contact with the child and talk to him/her.

• The mother should not force the child regarding nutrition.

• Before starting toilet training, the child should be prepared cognitively, and why he/she needs to go to the toilet should be explained to him/her. Pressure, embarrassment, disgust against feces, making the child pee in the sound of water, and punishment methods should not be applied in toilet training. Toilet training should be applied at night and during the day at the same time (if the child is tied to the bed at night, the child may not be able to overcome bedwetting for many years).

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The trust feeling is gained in this period. There is a possibility of the emergence of the opposite feeling, shame/fear.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FAMILIES

• The baby's room should be separated from the parents' room at the age of 1.

• If the child cannot sleep alone, the mother should first place a chair next to him/her and wait until he/she falls asleep, then gradually move the position of the chair away and ensure that he/she gets used to sleeping alone. In this way, the child will eventually realize that the parent is not in the room, and he/she will gain a sense of trust even when the parent is not there.

• The child's entrepreneurship and curiosity should not be suppressed. For example, the child should not be prevented from looking inside a toy, dressing him/herself, walking, except in situations where he/she can harm himself/herself, and parents should leave the child free.

SELF-CARE DEVELOPMENT

By the end of this period, the child has learned toilet habits, using a spoon and fork, and eating on his/her own. He/she starts to gain the ability to dress his/her clothes and shoes. The child fixes his/her hair, brushes his/her teeth by following the model of adults.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FAMILIES

• The family should pay attention to the child's toilet training.

• They should give the child the opportunity to hold a spoon or fork.

• They should act as a model for the child by demonstrating a behavior first and allowing the child to follow their lead. This will contribute more to the child's self-care development.

INFANT PERIOD (0-3 YEARS) -1. SECTION

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

During this period, brain development is still ongoing. Additionally, the acquisition of reflexes is important for the child's development. The first acquired reflex is the sucking reflex. Then the Moro reflex (throwing the chest forward) comes. This is followed by reflexes such as holding up the head, following objects, grasping, crawling, rocking, and so on. Monitoring reflexes is important for detecting development problems. Every child shows individual differences in development, but generally, the periods in which the child acquires these reflexes are similar. During this period, the child is egocentric. Especially after gaining the ability to walk, the child wants materials to belong entirely to them and to be under their control during play and activities.

By the end of this period, the baby realizes the distinction between themselves and the outside world, and the ability to imitate begins to develop, and goal-directed behavior develops. Additionally, first-stage reactions (0-4 months) develop, such as finger sucking; second-stage reactions (4-10 months) develop, such as repeating movements with objects outside the baby's body; and third-stage reactions (10-18 months) develop, such as repeating actions with external tools and attempting to take a toy with a stick.

FAMILY RECOMMENDATIONS

• It is necessary to strengthen the connections between nerve synapses from an intelligence perspective. Intelligence is an innate characteristic, but it can develop based on the abundance of stimuli and regress based on the scarcity of stimuli. It is important for the materials used in a child's play to stimulate all 5 senses. Preventing a child from getting to know their environment should be avoided. Sound toys, objects with different textures, and objects of different colors and sizes provide a variety of stimuli.

• Children should be exposed to music.

• The materials used in a child's play should not contain small, sharp, or harmful substances, as children have a tendency to use their mouths to explore objects, especially between the ages of 0-18 months.

PSYCHO-MOTOR DEVELOPMENT

After the development of reflexes, children gain coordination of their legs, arms, and torso, and begin to lay the foundations for the development of small muscles (finger muscles, etc.) little by little. For example, at the age of 2, they can hold a spoon, but they cannot use it in a coordinated manner like an adult. This period is particularly important for laying the foundations for the development of large muscles (arms, legs, torso) and small muscles (finger muscles).

FAMILY RECOMMENDATIONS

• Parents should pay attention to their child's reflexes, responses to stimuli, eye coordination, hearing ability, and finger usage during this period.

• They should monitor their reflexes after consulting with a specialist.

• Understanding the development of the senses during this period is crucial, as if there is a problem in a child's development, identifying it in infancy means early diagnosis and early treatment. For example, to determine if a child has a hearing problem in the first few months, without showing the child, parents can shake a rattle behind them and observe whether the child responds to the sound or not. If the child does not respond to sound, it is important to consult with a specialist. Reflexes are also important for diagnosing disabilities.

• Parents should allow their child to try using a spoon, dressing themselves, and brushing their teeth as a game, as soon as they are able to. It is important to give children this opportunity, as it lays the first foundations for the development of small muscles (finger muscles) and hand-eye coordination, and children begin to gain the ability to move independently from a young age.

PRENATAL PERIOD

The prenatal period begins with fertilization. The fertilized egg becomes a zygote. The zygote divides and multiplies in the first few hours after fertilization. Then, when the fertilized egg reaches the uterus through the fallopian tubes, the development of the umbilical cord takes place in order to establish a connection with the mother's body.

First, the head of the baby develops. The most important time for brain development is the first two months. The brain completes 70% of its development during this time. After that, the organs and limbs in the body develop.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FAMILIES

• During this period, the mother should not only maintain her own nutritional adequacy, but also create a food reserve for the baby. This does not mean that the mother should eat two plates of food. The main foods such as milk, yogurt, meat, eggs, etc. should be consumed in the amount recommended by the doctor.

• During the first 2 months, the main ingredient of the brain, zinc, should be consumed through fatty seeds such as a handful of nuts, soybeans, peanuts, etc.

• The pregnant woman should also consume foods rich in fiber.

• All vitamins and other nutrients should be consumed in sufficient quantities, and special attention should be paid to the consumption of iodine and iron.

• The mother's avoidance of stress as much as possible will also have a positive effect on the development of the baby.

(2-6 YEARS) (IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT)

The positive discipline approach is the idea of ​​instilling desired rules and behaviors in the child without harming their personality and self-esteem.

This way, the child not only adopts the rules and develops positive personality traits, but also these traits become permanent in them. They can self-regulate and discipline themselves when they are alone, and develop healthy attitudes.

WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE POSITIVE DISCIPLINE APPROACH

Unconditional love and expression of love for the child, acceptance

• Using the phrase "You are always valuable to me, I love you very much" with sincerity and reflecting this with actions, rather than saying "I will only love you if you act this way". This is very important for the child's mental health and well-being.

Trust in the child

• Taking the child's thoughts into consideration and valuing their opinions on matters that concern them, saying appreciative words, and creating a positive self-image in the child.

Being a good role model

• Demanding behavior that is not done or done unwillingly will not have a positive effect on the child.

Getting to know the child

• Knowing the child's characteristics, abilities, likes, dislikes, fears, and how they express their emotions (talking, hitting, breaking things, sulking), knowing their favorite friends, and acting accordingly, contribute to problem-solving.

Being self-assured and decisive

• Being firm and consistent, but not stubborn. The child's desires and objections may be justified. If necessary, change the attitude and explain it to the child.

Setting limits in behavior

• The child should be given limitations to understand what is normal and abnormal behavior. The child should know what behaviors are necessary and what behaviors are not necessary for their development.

Trying to understand the cause of negative behavior

• There can be many different reasons for a problem. The situation may be the child's general reaction, or it may be caused by an instant discomfort. You should try to understand the situation and the child.

Providing options for solutions and guidance

• When the child is asked not to do something, they should be told the reason and provided with options to guide them.

Not comparing the child to others

• Negative comparisons lead to the formation of negative self-perception and feeling worthless in the child. It creates jealousy and hostility.

Being relaxed, calm, and patient

• The child's reasonable requests and needs should be met without delay, and when they show negative aggressive behavior and make requests, one should avoid emotional reactions and remain calm and patient. After the child has calmed down, they should be told that the behavior is inappropriate and that they will not be able to achieve anything by behaving in that way again.

Every child is born with a tremendous creative capacity. Therefore, the education provided to a child should aim to bring out and develop their creativity. All activities organized for the emotional, social, mental, and physical development of a child should emphasize their uniqueness and freedom, allowing them to act in a different and exploratory manner and stimulating their creativity with their rich thoughts.

In this regard, the child should be able to express their emotions and thoughts spontaneously in games and activities in a way that suits them best. Thus, all activities designed for the child's development should be structured to stimulate their constructive and creative energy and productive power. In this direction, PARENTS should attach great importance and deep respect to the child's perception, senses, feelings, thoughts, and inner freedom.

Every child has a strong desire to see, examine, hear, smell, and taste the objects around them. Every child also has a strong innate desire to act spontaneously, produce, draw, paint, create models, dance, sing, and be constructive. To develop these desires, unique perceptions, senses, intuitions, imaginations, and skills based on the five senses should be strengthened and reinforced in every child. With this approach, the child finds themselves in an environment where they are accepted as they are. They are motivated to decide for themselves what to do, use their creative energy, freely choose and use the subject, production method, processes, tools, and materials. They benefit from their senses, intuitions, and imaginations. They enjoy being creative and playing roles. They explore activities and experiments. They design and make discoveries. They try new original methods.

For example, a child may draw a place or sea in a painting. They place flowers and a house on the ground and put a sun in the upper part of the painting. By experiencing their physical environment freely, acquiring the concepts of the land and sky, and their symbolic images visually and imaginatively, while respecting their senses, using their emotions, the child expresses themselves in their painting. A five-year-old child has drawn a frozen sea with blue under the paper and put waves going towards the top of the paper, saying that they froze because the weather was very cold. This child also obtained some symbolic images and visual and tactile sensations using their touch and visual senses.

BAG

Another thing that enables quick clean-up and doesn't take up much space is a non-plastic bag. Hang a large bag behind the door, where your child can easily put things like pajamas, socks, or small toys. You can use it for many things.

LIMIT THE MESS

Your child's bedroom or playroom will inevitably be messy most of the time. It's unfair to ask them to clean up while they're in the middle of playing or having fun. One way to limit the mess is to remove toys that your child no longer uses or take them away to give back later. Help your child develop the habit of putting away one toy before playing with another. A small room can get so cluttered that your child can't find what they want and can't play comfortably.

DON'T ASK FOR TOO MUCH

An eighteen-month-old child will love putting toys in a box, especially if you do it together and talk to them about what you're doing. A year later, you can ask your child to put away a few of their toys; asking for too much can make them lose interest. Between the ages of two and a half and four, your child can put clothes in drawers and learn where things should go. Talking about collecting and where things should go is quite effective. From the age of four, you can give your child the task of collecting and placing things themselves.

LET THEM DO IT

Your three or four-year-old child won't be as tidy as you when they put things away; so don't try to finish the job before them. If they've put away their toys, leave everything as it is, even if some are in the wrong boxes, and support their efforts. If your child is making their bed, even if it doesn't look great, don't show them you're disappointed; if they think it doesn't look good or if you help them tidy up, they'll think they can't do it well and lose interest. If necessary, you can do more strenuous tasks when your child is not around.

Source: Tidy up Your Room, Early Childhood Today

Can You Please Tidy Your Room? (1)

Does your child, like many others, often make a mess of their room and every corner of the house?

You can help your child keep their room and belongings in a fun and orderly way.

If your child's room has difficult-to-open drawers and high cabinets, they may lose their enthusiasm for tidying up. A trunk placed in the room can create convenience for collecting toys. When it's time to tidy up, bring out the trunk and have your child put their toys in it; pens or small toys get lost among the large toys in the trunk, so you can put them in covered cardboard boxes or empty plastic ice cream containers. Vegetable baskets are quite suitable for toys and clothes. When used regularly, enough space is provided.

ADOPTION

If your child loves their room and has embraced it, they will try to tidy it up more and keep it organized. Therefore, let them choose the decorations and some things like the lamp, duvet, and pillows in their room. As they grow older, you can show them that you see the room as their special area and that they can arrange it as they wish, for example by knocking on the door every time before entering the room. Few children are organized; many do not care about or do not give importance to messiness, and they do not mind living in chaos. Remarks from parents are not effective; therefore, it may be necessary to come to an agreement that will work.

REWARD REGULARITY

Set a regularity goal appropriate for your child's age. It can be a good goal for a small child to put away their toys at the end of the day. A general cleaning once a week is more suitable for an older child. Reward your child's efforts each time, and support them. Giving rewards upfront leads to extra difficulties and arguments. Instead, prepare a star chart and add a star to the list for tidying up. When a certain number of stars is reached, you can reward them with a new and small gift for their room.

TAKE A HANGER

At the age of 4-5, your child can hang their clothes on hangers. Make the hanging place suitable for their height so that they do not struggle. Show your child where to put dirty laundry, in their room or bathroom, and make a laundry bag or basket. This will help you get rid of clothes lying around the room and underfoot. If they tend to leave their coat on the floor when they come in, make a hanger for them. You can put a different colored, patterned, or shaped print for each family member.

TURN IT INTO A GAME

Make tidying up a game from the beginning. An 18-month-old baby may love to find two pairs of socks. For a larger child, you can hide something they will find by searching their room while tidying up. Children start to play imaginary games at the age of 4-5. If the tidying obligation takes place in an imaginary space, things become even easier.

FRIENDSHIP SKILLS

Friendship skill is one of the social competencies that one should acquire. For preschool children, friendship is limited to behaviors such as being together or playing together. Friendship generally includes attitudes and behaviors such as love, respect, attachment, tolerance, responsibility, initiating conversation, listening, assertiveness, initiating effective and appropriate communication, reacting and responding to interaction, getting along well, giving, sharing, helping friends (helping friends and asking for help when needed), respecting the rights of others, defending one's own rights, compromise, and paying attention to social justice.

It also includes recognizing emotions, understanding the emotions of others, being sensitive to emotions (empathy), expressing love, and trying not to conflict with others. Basically, friendship skills are acquired through learning and education.

Three-year-old children begin to develop a social personality. They join small groups of friends and play games based on simple cooperation and coordination. They start sharing toys and participate in their friends' games.

Four- and five-year-old children usually choose friends from their own gender in a more mature way than three-year-old children. They are influenced by their friends' behaviors, and they also influence their friends. They generally want to do what their friends do. They learn to like, give, share, cooperate, coordinate, and wait in games. They play group games and follow the rules. They show a friendly approach.