In the first five years of a child life is when the most complex development occurs. Children develop cognitively as their brain captivates information and they learn to process the information. Children also develop socially and emotionally as they interact, play, and live with others (i.e. friends, family or teachers). Cognitive, social and emotional development through play is essential for a child’s growth as well. The development of a child differs from person to person, depending on their temperament, learning style, and their parents parenting style.
In my observation, I observed a little girl approximately five years of age playing at our local park with her mother. Most children this age begin to develop superior individuality, self-control, and creativity. She was a vibrant and lively little girl. This little girl played with both boys and girls at the park. She seemed to be able to talk with anyone fluently, and not afraid of many things. According to Lev Vygotsky, language is the most important tool for social development. As she ran around with her friends pretending they were princess I could tell she was wary of how far she could or couldn’t go. It seemed like she was looking for her mother’s approval of how far she could run off and play. This reminded me of Erikson’s theory initiative versus guilt. This theory occurs in children ages three to about six. If caregivers try to create too many strict boundaries around what children can do and force too much responsibility on kids, children will feel extreme guilt for their inability to complete tasks perfectly (Oswalt, 2008).
The parenting style the mother had was an authoritative style. Authoritative parents in the parenting-styles framework, the best possible child-rearing style, in which parents rank high on both nurturance and discipline, providing both love and clear family rules (Belsky, 2010). For example, when they first got to the