Child development is the biological, psychological and emotional changes that occur in human beings between birth and the end of adolescence. There are (3) developmental domains or, changes from birth to adolescence. One of the three domains or changes are of the physical nature. A child is constantly growing and changing and developing motor skills, learning to crawl, play, or take the first step etc.
The physical well-being of the child can depend on the nutritional state of health. However, mental illnesses can slow down the process of a child’s growth or motor skills if the brain is not functioning properly. Aside from the physical change of child development,
There is also a cognitive state that must take place. The child must be able to obtain information and experience things as an individual. This will impact awareness of whom they are, and provide memories to shape who they will grow to be, as an adolescence. Another change in development is brought out by the interaction with people and surroundings in a child’s life. This is known as the social- emotional growth stage. With these experiences and the observing of other people. A great impact on the molding of the personality of the child takes place, and how they respond to certain situations. Did mom and dad coddle their child? Did this correspond with their child’s neediness or clinginess to be held during the toddler years? Some influences in a child’s development include genetic and environmental factors. By genetic code maturation is an influence brought on by a variety of mechanisms and transformations through structure, form and function of the individual. There are many factors that play a role in shaping people into what they become, and it is a controversy yet to be studied… Scientists use the Nature Vs. Nurture tactic to emphasize bio-genetic and environmental factors of change. Some studies even went as far as using monozygotic twins (identical twins) who share 100% same genetic code, formed from one egg to two separate eggs before conception. In retrospect scientists also used the opposite dizygotic (fraternal twins) who share only 50% genetic code and developed from two seperate eggs. Fertilized by two separate sperm. The historical roots of child development were succumb by ancient philosophers, their theories, ideas and concepts are well informed to this day. Plato of Greece (808BC) proposed children were viewed as naïve and easily susceptible to corruption and addressed these concerns by proposing drastic measures. He convinced citizens of Athens they were unfit to bear the teachings of their children. So the children were hauled off at birth to professional caregivers to teach children the means and ways of life. John Locke (1632-1704) however, believed children should be given a blank slate or tabula rasa rather upon which experiences in life will write their own story. Jean –Jaques Rousseau of (1712-1778) felt that children were miniature and inferior, but possess an intrinsic character that is perfect and pure. Then, there is Charles Darwin (1809-1882). He had proposed the revolutionary idea that there are various species with a common ancestor and that species either die out or change to meet demands or requirements of the environment. There are also changes in contemporary American life that have greatly influenced studies of child development. A few of these influences are population increases, and cultural diversity. Or same-sex parents whether by artificial insemination or through adoption. As the environment changes it brings new study criteria for research. Some scientists believe there are adaptions to the environment linked to the way humans development. The diversity of a child’s development can be viewed best from a transactional perspective. Which is viewed as a result of interplay between diverse qualities that individuals bring to their environment and the diverse environment that a person experiences. For example if a child wants to be held, and the mother avoids the needs of the child. The child could have feelings of neglect, encounter trouble being close to another person or develop possible trust issues .