A

09/30/25

Social and Emotional Development

  • Double Play Principle

    • A reference to limits in children's activities to prevent life-threatening situations.

Sensory Development

  • Senses

    • Discussion of various senses including hearing and vision.

    • Gustation (taste) is highlighted as particularly interesting.

  • Taste Sensitivity

    • Children exhibit pickiness in food due to heightened sensitivity in their taste buds.

    • As one ages, taste buds lose sensitivity, leading to a broader acceptance of foods.

    • Children often enjoy pizza and chicken nuggets, whereas adults tend to eat a wider variety due to decreased taste sensitivity.

Gross and Fine Motor Skills

  • Gross Motor Skills (Page 83)

    • Focus on developmental milestones such as sitting unsupported, standing without holding on, walking, and running at various ages.

    • Importance of objective developmental milestones for parents to assess child progress without undue stress.

  • Fine Motor Skills (Page 84)

    • Defined as physical abilities involving small body movements, especially in hands and fingers, such as drawing and manipulating objects.

    • Norms for Fine Motor Skills (Page 85)

      • As children develop, parents should observe milestones without comparing to others too harshly.

Memory Development

  • Types of Memory

    • Distinction between implicit and explicit memory is introduced.

    • Short-term memory declines before long-term memory.

  • Parenting Example:

    • Personal narrative illustrating memory issues; mother’s inability to recall recent meals contrasted with her recollection of a favorite family recipe from decades prior.

Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development

  • Sensory Intelligence (Page 89)

    • Overview of cognitive development stages according to Piaget.

  • Object Permanence (Page 90)

    • Critical concept referring to understanding that objects continue to exist even when not in view.

    • Infants typically develop this understanding around eight months.

    • Peek-a-boo exercise demonstrates infants' grasp of this concept, revealing developmental milestones.

Language Development

  • Language Acquisition (Pages 92-95)

    • Progression from babbling to naming explosions noted from newborn to 24 months of age.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

  • Preventive Measures (Page 101)

    • Data indicating back sleeping dramatically reduces incidence of SIDS.

    • Risks associated with SIDS include low birth weight, exposure to cigarette smoke, bedding conditions, and physical abnormalities.

Vaccination and Immunization

  • Importance of Vaccines (Page 102)

    • Introduces controversy surrounding vaccines, covers essential vaccinations like measles and polio.

Breastfeeding Benefits

  • Advantages (Page 106)

    • Discusses various health benefits tied to breastfeeding for both infants and mothers.

Emotional and Social Development

  • Social Smile (Page 113)

    • Defined as a smile evoked by human interactions typically first seen in infants around six weeks old.

    • Pre-six-week smiles likely not social in origin; may be due to other satisfactions.

  • Separation Anxiety (Page 114)

    • Description of typical development of separation anxiety from around one year onward.

  • Empathy Development

    • Discussion on how caregivers' responses to a crying baby can influence the child's development of confidence and emotional regulation.

Understanding Temperament

  • Temperament (Page 117)

    • Discusses inherent differences in emotions, activity levels, and self-regulation characterized as temperament, likely remaining stable over time.

Caregiving Dynamics

  • Synchrony (Page 120)

    • Defined as the coordinated and smooth exchange of responses between caregiver and infant.

  • Attachment Styles (Pages 122-123)

    • Discussion of various attachment styles and their developmental stages.

Parenting Involvement

  • Contemporary Fathers (Page 130)

    • Explores how modern-day fathers are more involved in upbringing than previous generations.

    • Examines how stress can impact parental involvement with children.

  • Allo Care (Page 135)

    • Defined as care provided by individuals other than biological parents, emphasizing the role of community in child-rearing.

Childhood Obesity

  • Contributing Factors

    • Introduction to the complexities surrounding childhood obesity, including metabolism and caloric intake.

    • The fundamental principle: consuming more calories than expended leads to weight gain; vice versa results in weight loss.

    • It is emphasized that parents directly control feeding behavior since children are not independently purchasing food.

Brain Maturation

  • Developmental Changes (Page 147)

    • Sleep patterns, emotional responses, and behavioral regulations improve as the brain matures.

Piaget's Preoperational Thought

  • Animism (Page 149)

    • Defined as the belief held by children that natural objects possess human-like sensations and abilities.

  • Egocentrism

    • Discussed as children's inclination to view the world purely through their own experiences.

Early Childhood Education

  • Schooling Methodologies

    • Montessori schools and various educational approaches are discussed in the context of early learning.

    • Criteria for evaluating preschool teachers and programs will be investigated in upcoming discussions.