The Different Stages of Child Development from the Prenatal to Adulthood

The development of a human being is contingent on their upbringing. There are many strategies that yield various results in the development of a person. The question then arises as to which strategies are best, or recommended. Support for these strategies can be seen in the positive or negative consequences they generate. In this paper I have compiled recommended strategies for each of the main life stages; prenatal and newborn, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The prenatal period in one’s life is very important for physical development, creating a nurturing environment in the womb is vital for the ontogenesis of the baby.

One recommended strategy to ensure the healthy development of a babe is to abstain from smoking during a pregnancy. Smoking during a pregnancy can potentiate many different medical complications. Smoking can lead to early births, which may hinder the babies’ chance to fully develop.

The babies born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have low birth weights. For these reasons smoking during pregnancy is not recommended. Once a baby is born it is important to focus on physical and psychological growth. A strategy to promote the physical health of an infant is to ensure it receives all the necessary nutrients to fuel the imminent rapid physical growth. Promoting the physical growth of a person is much easier than promoting psychological maturity. Infants are susceptible to touch, so a good strategy to use when attempting to promote cognitive development is by holding them because they learn about the world through touch, this promotes familiarity and proprioception or physical self awareness. Childhood is a crucial time for psychological development in any person’s life. Freud believed that much of who we are is a result of our early lives. One strategy I recommend is to force toddlers to share toys, even if it is only a brief interruption of their play time this simple trick will instill in the toddler the theory of mind because he or she will intuit that others have minds and wishes and desires separate from that of the child. At about ages 5-8 I would recommend in order to promote the ability of conservation in a child, play games involving water and various sizes of glasses in order for them to see and comprehend that the amount of water doesn’t change even if the water line shifts, this concept of conservation is important for cognitive development. Adolescence is the period in our life where begin to deal with issues of moral and social natures and it is recommended to follow some strategies to keep people on the right track morally and socially.

One strategy to increment social development is by joining sports, joining sports can build confidence, teach people how to function as a unit with others, and reinforce basic social skills like meeting new people. Morality is abstract inherently so it can be a difficult subject to grasp for developing minds. One of the best strategies here is to promote moral behavior, correcting moral slip-ups in a positive way that shows not only the immediate, but also the long-term consequences of the adolescent’s actions. This will ideally instill a solid sense of morality in the adolescent. During adulthood, the goal is to maintain health because you go through physical changes such as muscle atrophy, muscle strength, shortening reaction time, and stamina decreases. One strategy to avoid these detriments is by exercising regularly. Regular exercise can promote stamina, flexibility, and overall fitness. Another strategy, which is particularly effective if coupled with regular exercise, is healthy eating. As we age, our metabolism slows and weight gain becomes more probable, weight gain can present a variety of health issues such as heart disease. Eating healthy can combat weight gain and promotes a healthy body which will stand a better chance against the toll of time.

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