{"id":269,"date":"2014-09-26T20:34:34","date_gmt":"2014-09-26T20:34:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/lifespandevelopment1x1\/?post_type=chapter&p=269"},"modified":"2016-03-16T18:33:40","modified_gmt":"2016-03-16T18:33:40","slug":"physical-development-during-early-childhood","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-childhood-psychology\/chapter\/physical-development-during-early-childhood\/","title":{"raw":"Physical Development","rendered":"Physical Development"},"content":{"raw":"

Growth in early childhood<\/h2>\r\n\"toddlerChildren between the ages of 2 and 6 years tend to grow about 3 inches in height each year and gain about 4 to 5 pounds in weight each year.\u00a0The average 6 year old weighs about 46 pounds and is about 46 inches in height.\u00a0The 3 year old is very similar to a toddler with a large head, large stomach, short arms and legs.\u00a0But by the time the child reaches age 6, the torso has lengthened and body proportions have become more like those of adults.\r\n\r\nThis growth rate is slower than that of infancy and is accompanied by a reduced appetite between the ages of 2 and 6. This change can sometimes be surprising to parents and lead to the development of poor eating habits.\r\n

Nutritional concerns<\/h2>\r\nCaregivers who have established a feeding routine with their child can find this reduction in appetite a bit frustrating and become concerned that the child is going to starve.\u00a0However, by providing adequate, sound nutrition, and limiting sugary snacks and drinks, the caregiver can be assured that 1) the child will not starve; and 2) the child will receive adequate nutrition.\u00a0Preschoolers can experience iron deficiencies if not given well-balanced nutrition and if given too much milk.\u00a0Calcium interferes with the absorption of iron in the diet as well.\r\n\r\nCaregivers need to keep in mind that they are setting up taste preferences at this age.\u00a0Young children who grow accustomed to high fat, very sweet and salty flavors may have trouble eating foods that have more subtle flavors such as fruits and vegetables.\u00a0Consider the following advice about establishing eating patterns for years to come (Rice, F.P., 1997).\u00a0Notice that keeping mealtime pleasant, providing sound nutrition and not engaging in power struggles over food are the main goals:\r\n

Tips for Establishing Healthy Eating Patterns<\/h2>\r\n

1. Don\u2019t try to force your child to eat or fight over food.\u00a0Of course, it is impossible to force someone to eat.\u00a0But the real advice here is to avoid turning food into some kind of ammunition during a fight.\u00a0Do not teach your child to eat to or refuse to eat in order to gain favor or express anger toward someone else.<\/p>\r\n

2. Recognize that appetite varies.\u00a0Children may eat well at one meal and have no appetite at another.\u00a0Rather than seeing this as a problem, it may help to realize that appetites do vary.\u00a0Continue to provide good nutrition, but do not worry excessively if the child does not eat.<\/p>\r\n

3. Keep it pleasant.\u00a0This tip is designed to help caregivers create a positive atmosphere during mealtime.\u00a0Mealtimes should not be the time for arguments or expressing tensions.\u00a0You do not want the child to have painful memories of mealtimes together or have nervous stomachs and problems eating and digesting food due to stress.<\/p>\r\n

4. No short order chefs.\u00a0While it is fine to prepare foods that children enjoy, preparing a different meal for each child or family member sets up an unrealistic expectation from others.\u00a0Children probably do best when they are hungry and a meal is ready.\u00a0Limiting snacks rather than allowing children to \u201cgraze\u201d continuously can help create an appetite for whatever is being served.<\/p>\r\n

5. Limit choices.\u00a0If you give your preschool aged child choices, make sure that you give them one or two specific choices rather than asking \u201cWhat would you like for lunch?\u201d\u00a0If given an open choice, children may change their minds or choose whatever their sibling does not choose!<\/p>\r\n

6. Serve balanced meals.\u00a0This tip encourages caregivers to serve balanced meals.\u00a0A box of macaroni and cheese is not a balanced meal.\u00a0Meals prepared at home tend to have better\u00a0nutritional value than fast food or frozen dinners.\u00a0Prepared foods tend to be higher in fat and sugar content as these ingredients enhance taste and profit margin because fresh food is often more costly and less profitable.\u00a0However, preparing fresh food at home is not costly.\u00a0It does, however, require more activity.\u00a0Preparing meals and including the children in kitchen chores can provide a fun and memorable experience.<\/p>\r\n

7. Don\u2019t bribe.\u00a0Bribing a child to eat vegetable by promising desert is not a good idea.\u00a0For one reason, the child will likely find a way to get the desert without eating the vegetables (by whining or fidgeting, perhaps, until the caregiver gives in), and for another reason, because it teaches the child that some foods are better than others.\u00a0Children tend to naturally enjoy a variety of foods until they are taught that some are considered less desirable than others.\u00a0A child, for example, may learn the broccoli they have enjoyed is seen as yucky by others unless it\u2019s smothered in cheese sauce!<\/p>\r\n\u00a0To what extent do these tips address cultural practices? How might these tips vary by culture?\r\n

Brain Maturation<\/h2>\r\nBrain weight:<\/strong>\u00a0If you recall, the brain is about 75 percent its adult weight by two years of age.\u00a0By age 6, it is at 95 percent its adult weight.\u00a0Myelination and the development of dendrites continues to occur in the cortex and as it does, we see a corresponding change in what the child is capable of doing.\u00a0Greater development in the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain behind the forehead that helps us to think, strategizes, and controls emotion, makes it increasingly possible to control emotional outbursts and to understand how to play games.\u00a0Consider 4 or 5 year old children and how they might approach a game of soccer.\u00a0Chances are every move would be a response to the commands of a coach standing nearby calling out, \u201cRun this way!\u00a0Now, stop.\u00a0Look at the ball.\u00a0Kick the ball!\u201d\u00a0And when the child is not being told what to do, he or she is likely to be looking at the clover on the ground or a dog on the other side of the fence!\u00a0Understanding the game, thinking ahead, and coordinating movement improve with practice and myelination.\u00a0Not being too upset over a loss, hopefully, does as well.\r\n

Visual Pathways<\/h2>\r\nHave you ever examined the drawings of young children?\u00a0If you look closely, you can almost see the development of visual pathways reflected in the way these images change as pathways become more mature.\u00a0Early scribbles and dots illustrate the use of simple motor skills. No real connection is made between an image being visualized and what is created on paper.\r\n\r\nAt age 3, the child begins to draw wispy creatures with heads and not much other detail.\u00a0Gradually pictures begin to have more detail and incorporate more parts of the body.\u00a0Arm buds become arms and faces take on noses, lips and eventually eyelashes.\u00a0Look for drawings that you or your child has created to see this fascinating trend. Here are some examples of pictures drawn by my daughters from ages 2 to 7 years.\r\n\r\n\"pic1\"<\/a>\"pic2\"<\/a>\r\n\r\n\"pic3\"<\/a> \u00a0\"pic4\"<\/a>\r\n\r\nGrowth in the hemispheres and corpus callosum:\u00a0<\/strong>Between ages 3 and 6, the left hemisphere of the brain grows dramatically.\u00a0This side of the brain or hemisphere is typically involved in language skills.\u00a0The right hemisphere continues to grow throughout early childhood and is involved in tasks that require spatial skills such as recognizing shapes and patterns.\u00a0The corpus callosum which connects the two hemispheres of the brain undergoes a growth spurt between ages 3 and 6 as well and results in improved coordination between right and left hemisphere tasks.\u00a0(I once saw a 5 year old hopping on one foot, rubbing his stomach and patting his head all at the same time.\u00a0I asked him what he was doing and he replied, \u201cMy teacher said this would help my corpus callosum!\u201d\u00a0Apparently, his kindergarten teacher had explained the process!)\r\n\r\nMotor Skill Development\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n\r\nEarly childhood is a time when children are especially attracted to motion and song.\u00a0Days are filled with moving, jumping, running, swinging and clapping and every place becomes a playground.\u00a0Even the booth at a restaurant affords the opportunity to slide around in the seat or disappear underneath and imagine being a sea creature in a cave!\u00a0Of course, this can be frustrating to a caregiver, but it\u2019s the business of early childhood.\u00a0Children continue to improve their\u00a0gross motor skills\u00a0as they run and jump.\u00a0And frequently ask their caregivers to \u201clook at\u00a0me\u201d while they hop or roll down a hill.\u00a0Children\u2019s songs are often accompanied by arm and leg movements or cues to turn around or move from left to right.\u00a0Fine motor skills\u00a0are also being refined in activities such as pouring water into a container, drawing, coloring, and using scissors.\u00a0Some children\u2019s songs promote fine motor skills as well (have you ever heard of the song \u201citsy, bitsy, spider\u201d?).\u00a0Mastering the fine art of cutting one\u2019s own fingernails or tying shoes will take a lot of practice and maturation.\u00a0Motor skills continue to develop in middle childhood-but for preschoolers, play that deliberately involves these skills is emphasized.\r\n\r\nGo ahead. Sing along and practice your fine motor skills.\r\n

Sexual Development in Early Childhood<\/h2>\r\nHistorically, children have been thought of as innocent or incapable of sexual arousal (Aries, 1962).\u00a0Yet, the physical dimension of sexual arousal is present from birth.\u00a0But to associate the elements of seduction, power, love, or lust that is part of the adult meanings of sexuality would be inappropriate.\u00a0Sexuality begins in childhood as a response to physical states and sensation and cannot be interpreted as similar to that of adults in any way (Carroll, 2007).\r\n\r\nInfancy:\u00a0<\/strong>Boys and girls are capable of erections and vaginal lubrication even before birth (Martinson, 1981).\u00a0Arousal can signal overall physical contentment and stimulation that accompanies feeding or warmth.\u00a0And infants begin to explore their bodies and touch their genitals as soon as they have the sufficient motor skills.\u00a0This stimulation is for comfort or to relieve tension rather than to reach orgasm (Carroll, 2007).\r\n\r\nEarly Childhood:\u00a0<\/strong>Self-stimulation is common in early childhood for both boys and girls.\u00a0Curiosity about the body and about others\u2019 bodies is a natural part of early childhood as well.\u00a0Consider this example.\u00a0A mother is asked by her young daughter: \u201cSo it\u2019s okay to see a boy\u2019s privates as long as it\u2019s the boy\u2019s mother or a doctor?\u201d\u00a0The mother hesitates a bit and then responds, \u201cYes.\u00a0I think that\u2019s alright.\u201d\u00a0\u201cHmmm,\u201d the girl begins, \u201cWhen I grow up, I want to be a doctor!\u201d Hopefully, this subject is approached in a way that teaches children to be safe and know what is appropriate without frightening them or causing shame.\r\n\r\nAs children grow, they are more likely to show their genitals to siblings or peers, and to take off their clothes and touch each other (Okami et al., 1997).\u00a0Masturbation is common for both boys and girls.\u00a0Boys are often shown by other boys how to masturbate.\u00a0But girls tend to find out accidentally.\u00a0And boys masturbate more often and touch themselves more openly than do girls (Schwartz, 1999).\r\n\r\nHopefully, parents respond to this without undue alarm and without making the child feel guilty about their bodies.\u00a0Instead, messages about what is going on and the appropriate time and place for such activities help the child learn what is appropriate.","rendered":"

Growth in early childhood<\/h2>\n

\"toddlerChildren between the ages of 2 and 6 years tend to grow about 3 inches in height each year and gain about 4 to 5 pounds in weight each year.\u00a0The average 6 year old weighs about 46 pounds and is about 46 inches in height.\u00a0The 3 year old is very similar to a toddler with a large head, large stomach, short arms and legs.\u00a0But by the time the child reaches age 6, the torso has lengthened and body proportions have become more like those of adults.<\/p>\n

This growth rate is slower than that of infancy and is accompanied by a reduced appetite between the ages of 2 and 6. This change can sometimes be surprising to parents and lead to the development of poor eating habits.<\/p>\n

Nutritional concerns<\/h2>\n

Caregivers who have established a feeding routine with their child can find this reduction in appetite a bit frustrating and become concerned that the child is going to starve.\u00a0However, by providing adequate, sound nutrition, and limiting sugary snacks and drinks, the caregiver can be assured that 1) the child will not starve; and 2) the child will receive adequate nutrition.\u00a0Preschoolers can experience iron deficiencies if not given well-balanced nutrition and if given too much milk.\u00a0Calcium interferes with the absorption of iron in the diet as well.<\/p>\n

Caregivers need to keep in mind that they are setting up taste preferences at this age.\u00a0Young children who grow accustomed to high fat, very sweet and salty flavors may have trouble eating foods that have more subtle flavors such as fruits and vegetables.\u00a0Consider the following advice about establishing eating patterns for years to come (Rice, F.P., 1997).\u00a0Notice that keeping mealtime pleasant, providing sound nutrition and not engaging in power struggles over food are the main goals:<\/p>\n

Tips for Establishing Healthy Eating Patterns<\/h2>\n

1. Don\u2019t try to force your child to eat or fight over food.\u00a0Of course, it is impossible to force someone to eat.\u00a0But the real advice here is to avoid turning food into some kind of ammunition during a fight.\u00a0Do not teach your child to eat to or refuse to eat in order to gain favor or express anger toward someone else.<\/p>\n

2. Recognize that appetite varies.\u00a0Children may eat well at one meal and have no appetite at another.\u00a0Rather than seeing this as a problem, it may help to realize that appetites do vary.\u00a0Continue to provide good nutrition, but do not worry excessively if the child does not eat.<\/p>\n

3. Keep it pleasant.\u00a0This tip is designed to help caregivers create a positive atmosphere during mealtime.\u00a0Mealtimes should not be the time for arguments or expressing tensions.\u00a0You do not want the child to have painful memories of mealtimes together or have nervous stomachs and problems eating and digesting food due to stress.<\/p>\n

4. No short order chefs.\u00a0While it is fine to prepare foods that children enjoy, preparing a different meal for each child or family member sets up an unrealistic expectation from others.\u00a0Children probably do best when they are hungry and a meal is ready.\u00a0Limiting snacks rather than allowing children to \u201cgraze\u201d continuously can help create an appetite for whatever is being served.<\/p>\n

5. Limit choices.\u00a0If you give your preschool aged child choices, make sure that you give them one or two specific choices rather than asking \u201cWhat would you like for lunch?\u201d\u00a0If given an open choice, children may change their minds or choose whatever their sibling does not choose!<\/p>\n

6. Serve balanced meals.\u00a0This tip encourages caregivers to serve balanced meals.\u00a0A box of macaroni and cheese is not a balanced meal.\u00a0Meals prepared at home tend to have better\u00a0nutritional value than fast food or frozen dinners.\u00a0Prepared foods tend to be higher in fat and sugar content as these ingredients enhance taste and profit margin because fresh food is often more costly and less profitable.\u00a0However, preparing fresh food at home is not costly.\u00a0It does, however, require more activity.\u00a0Preparing meals and including the children in kitchen chores can provide a fun and memorable experience.<\/p>\n

7. Don\u2019t bribe.\u00a0Bribing a child to eat vegetable by promising desert is not a good idea.\u00a0For one reason, the child will likely find a way to get the desert without eating the vegetables (by whining or fidgeting, perhaps, until the caregiver gives in), and for another reason, because it teaches the child that some foods are better than others.\u00a0Children tend to naturally enjoy a variety of foods until they are taught that some are considered less desirable than others.\u00a0A child, for example, may learn the broccoli they have enjoyed is seen as yucky by others unless it\u2019s smothered in cheese sauce!<\/p>\n

\u00a0To what extent do these tips address cultural practices? How might these tips vary by culture?<\/p>\n

Brain Maturation<\/h2>\n

Brain weight:<\/strong>\u00a0If you recall, the brain is about 75 percent its adult weight by two years of age.\u00a0By age 6, it is at 95 percent its adult weight.\u00a0Myelination and the development of dendrites continues to occur in the cortex and as it does, we see a corresponding change in what the child is capable of doing.\u00a0Greater development in the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain behind the forehead that helps us to think, strategizes, and controls emotion, makes it increasingly possible to control emotional outbursts and to understand how to play games.\u00a0Consider 4 or 5 year old children and how they might approach a game of soccer.\u00a0Chances are every move would be a response to the commands of a coach standing nearby calling out, \u201cRun this way!\u00a0Now, stop.\u00a0Look at the ball.\u00a0Kick the ball!\u201d\u00a0And when the child is not being told what to do, he or she is likely to be looking at the clover on the ground or a dog on the other side of the fence!\u00a0Understanding the game, thinking ahead, and coordinating movement improve with practice and myelination.\u00a0Not being too upset over a loss, hopefully, does as well.<\/p>\n

Visual Pathways<\/h2>\n

Have you ever examined the drawings of young children?\u00a0If you look closely, you can almost see the development of visual pathways reflected in the way these images change as pathways become more mature.\u00a0Early scribbles and dots illustrate the use of simple motor skills. No real connection is made between an image being visualized and what is created on paper.<\/p>\n

At age 3, the child begins to draw wispy creatures with heads and not much other detail.\u00a0Gradually pictures begin to have more detail and incorporate more parts of the body.\u00a0Arm buds become arms and faces take on noses, lips and eventually eyelashes.\u00a0Look for drawings that you or your child has created to see this fascinating trend. Here are some examples of pictures drawn by my daughters from ages 2 to 7 years.<\/p>\n

\"pic1\"<\/a>\"pic2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"pic3\"<\/a> \u00a0\"pic4\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Growth in the hemispheres and corpus callosum:\u00a0<\/strong>Between ages 3 and 6, the left hemisphere of the brain grows dramatically.\u00a0This side of the brain or hemisphere is typically involved in language skills.\u00a0The right hemisphere continues to grow throughout early childhood and is involved in tasks that require spatial skills such as recognizing shapes and patterns.\u00a0The corpus callosum which connects the two hemispheres of the brain undergoes a growth spurt between ages 3 and 6 as well and results in improved coordination between right and left hemisphere tasks.\u00a0(I once saw a 5 year old hopping on one foot, rubbing his stomach and patting his head all at the same time.\u00a0I asked him what he was doing and he replied, \u201cMy teacher said this would help my corpus callosum!\u201d\u00a0Apparently, his kindergarten teacher had explained the process!)<\/p>\n

Motor Skill Development\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Early childhood is a time when children are especially attracted to motion and song.\u00a0Days are filled with moving, jumping, running, swinging and clapping and every place becomes a playground.\u00a0Even the booth at a restaurant affords the opportunity to slide around in the seat or disappear underneath and imagine being a sea creature in a cave!\u00a0Of course, this can be frustrating to a caregiver, but it\u2019s the business of early childhood.\u00a0Children continue to improve their\u00a0gross motor skills\u00a0as they run and jump.\u00a0And frequently ask their caregivers to \u201clook at\u00a0me\u201d while they hop or roll down a hill.\u00a0Children\u2019s songs are often accompanied by arm and leg movements or cues to turn around or move from left to right.\u00a0Fine motor skills\u00a0are also being refined in activities such as pouring water into a container, drawing, coloring, and using scissors.\u00a0Some children\u2019s songs promote fine motor skills as well (have you ever heard of the song \u201citsy, bitsy, spider\u201d?).\u00a0Mastering the fine art of cutting one\u2019s own fingernails or tying shoes will take a lot of practice and maturation.\u00a0Motor skills continue to develop in middle childhood-but for preschoolers, play that deliberately involves these skills is emphasized.<\/p>\n

Go ahead. Sing along and practice your fine motor skills.<\/p>\n

Sexual Development in Early Childhood<\/h2>\n

Historically, children have been thought of as innocent or incapable of sexual arousal (Aries, 1962).\u00a0Yet, the physical dimension of sexual arousal is present from birth.\u00a0But to associate the elements of seduction, power, love, or lust that is part of the adult meanings of sexuality would be inappropriate.\u00a0Sexuality begins in childhood as a response to physical states and sensation and cannot be interpreted as similar to that of adults in any way (Carroll, 2007).<\/p>\n

Infancy:\u00a0<\/strong>Boys and girls are capable of erections and vaginal lubrication even before birth (Martinson, 1981).\u00a0Arousal can signal overall physical contentment and stimulation that accompanies feeding or warmth.\u00a0And infants begin to explore their bodies and touch their genitals as soon as they have the sufficient motor skills.\u00a0This stimulation is for comfort or to relieve tension rather than to reach orgasm (Carroll, 2007).<\/p>\n

Early Childhood:\u00a0<\/strong>Self-stimulation is common in early childhood for both boys and girls.\u00a0Curiosity about the body and about others\u2019 bodies is a natural part of early childhood as well.\u00a0Consider this example.\u00a0A mother is asked by her young daughter: \u201cSo it\u2019s okay to see a boy\u2019s privates as long as it\u2019s the boy\u2019s mother or a doctor?\u201d\u00a0The mother hesitates a bit and then responds, \u201cYes.\u00a0I think that\u2019s alright.\u201d\u00a0\u201cHmmm,\u201d the girl begins, \u201cWhen I grow up, I want to be a doctor!\u201d Hopefully, this subject is approached in a way that teaches children to be safe and know what is appropriate without frightening them or causing shame.<\/p>\n

As children grow, they are more likely to show their genitals to siblings or peers, and to take off their clothes and touch each other (Okami et al., 1997).\u00a0Masturbation is common for both boys and girls.\u00a0Boys are often shown by other boys how to masturbate.\u00a0But girls tend to find out accidentally.\u00a0And boys masturbate more often and touch themselves more openly than do girls (Schwartz, 1999).<\/p>\n

Hopefully, parents respond to this without undue alarm and without making the child feel guilty about their bodies.\u00a0Instead, messages about what is going on and the appropriate time and place for such activities help the child learn what is appropriate.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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