What I Wish People Knew About Child Development

I did not start out as a child development major. In fact, it was hardly an option I considered. I looked into Psychology, Creative Writing, English, and Dietetics. Was working with children something I wanted to do? I declared as an Elementary Education major and after attending the introductory class to Teacher Education the first few days, I knew I could not do it. The reason being I did not agree with the way the education system worked in our country, and the certification involved to become a teacher was too much to handle. I felt I was going to do something as strict as the children are in our public schools. In fact, I felt restricted in the introductory course. This very notion brought me to changing my major to Child Development.

I honestly did not know what to expect in the classes, but as the semesters went by, I discovered I chose a major with a subject that hardly anyone knew about. My eyes opened to the truth behind children becoming successful in our society. I began to see the rights and wrongs of what parents and educators are doing to their children. I have thought about and researched the question, “Why don’t people understand that what they are doing is wrong?” Then my eyes saw this: our society has gradually come to take on new approaches to parenting and education because of new technology and higher education. What we think we are doing is right, but looking at the big picture, it is damaging our children and not getting them prepared for what they are going to face in their lives.

There is so much people do not know regarding child development. I am here to present what they are and the reasons why you should know about them.

Technology

I believe we all know that at some degree or not, too much technology is not good for children. We know for ourselves that we can easily get sucked into the cyber world and not break free out of it. We are constantly distracted by our phones, tablets, TV, computers, anything with a screen, you name it. We also hear horror stories of cyberbullying, online sexual predators, and easily accessible porn sites. But there is so much more to the “why” of not giving technology to children. Johann Christoph Anderson said, “Parents can try to put controls on what their children can see and limit their access time. But what if the technology itself turns out to be bad for childhood?”

Technology is literally changing children’s minds. It is changing the way they are thinking and processing information. In our society, it is crucial for us to have the ability to have, “perception, memory, language, learning, creativity, reasoning, problem solving, and decision making.” The ability to think is so important and the countless TV and apps given to our children is not accomplishing that, even if it is considered educational, the information is going right through their heads.

It has even been said by the American Academy of Pediatrics that children under two years old should not be exposed to screens. It limits their language development, social and emotional development, and causes weight issues and sleep problems. Children older than two should not get more than an hour of screen time a day. Infants, toddlers, and all children need that sensory input from their environment to be able to focus and think.

With all of this being delayed in our children, how can they ever be ready to take on the challenges life has? How can they be ready to solve problems they face? How can they be ready for the education we want them to receive? Rhonda Gillespie, an infant and toddler specialist, said, “The accessibility of screen devices has caused a significant decline in children’s resilience, self-determination, desire for hard work, and sense of pride in achievement. And socialization among children is becoming extinct.”

Parenting can be hard when a child is upset and you just need to give a child a device to calm down. But there are other ways your child can calm down and receive the best skills possible at their early age:

• Play outside
• Read books to them
• Give them loose parts to play and experiment with
• Invite a friend over to play
• Give them some art materials and see what they create

Technology does have a place in our society. It has made living life easier and we are able to receive information instantly. It has made us be able to capture the moments we want to cherish the most with our children. Let us cherish those moments a little more deeply by giving them what they deserve to thrive.

Early Education

Studying early childhood education and working in preschool has definitely opened my eyes to know what is best for children and what is not. I constantly work with children who have goals to achieve more academically than socially and emotionally. I talked about in my article “Part 2: Is Learning Academics Early the Indicator of Success?” that having supportive relationships and social and emotional skills are crucial for children to have in order for success in school. I also talked about in my article “Part 1: Is Learning Academics Early the Indicator of Success?” that play can enable children to develop holistically, be able to think and problem solve, and increase creativity, which are also necessary for success in school.

What we are seeing in our society now is the opposite. I mentioned in a previous article, “Product vs. Process Art”, that I went on a field trip exploring several early childhood programs and preschools. Some I loved because of their philosophy and the education the children received, but there were others that I cringed at.. This is what I saw:

• Over-stimulated and crowded classrooms
• Commercialized posters covering the walls of the alphabet, numbers, shapes, colors, and so forth
• Structured activities and not enough free play and exploration
• Teaching children academic skills more than social/emotional skills and topics they were interested in
• Teachers often saying, “No!”, “You can’t do that!”, and “Stop it!” rather than teaching children to problem solve and giving positive stated directions
• Teachers often giving direct instruction and forcing them to write their letters and expect them to remember what they are

As I stood in those classrooms, watching those children be a part of this, I could not help but think, “These poor children are not receiving the education they deserve. These poor children are not receiving a love to learn.” Children deserve to learn what they are interested in. Through that, they are able to learn so much more. Children will be able to know how to learn through allowing them to find the answers through experimenting, searching, and figuring out the why’s and how’s when solving problems. Giving them positive stated directions can allow them to know they can do something and not restrict their autonomy. Providing natural environments, rather than bold colors and posters, can increase learning capabilities, better sensory input, and greater ability to think and process information. Giving children enough free play and exploration can allow them to learn and explore what they love and develop the skills needed to go throughout life with success.

When looking for a preschool, or any other form of schooling, think of your child’s goals. What do you want for your child? What kind of education and learning do you think they deserve? What do you think will be best to help them be ready to take on life’s challenges? We all want our children to be prepared to take on the subjects learned in Kindergarten. We want them to be ready to take on those standardized tests our education system has required of such young people. With all that has been said, do not worry. When academics are not forced upon them, it will come naturally. Children have young, curious minds that want to know about the world. They want to discover, create, and learn what they love. As their minds continue to mature, they will take on the academics with a new light and they will be prepared with the skills necessary to succeed.

Our society has changed. It is not how it used to be twenty plus years ago when technology was scarce, play was not hindered, and education was different. Think of what you did as child. Did you build forts often? Did you play in the mud and catch ladybugs? Did you spend time with your friends and make up fun games to play? Or were you cooped up inside glued to a screen? Or at four-years-old, forced to learn what children should learn in First Grade? Give your children the childhood they would enjoy. Take away the screens, wait a little longer on the direct instruction, and let children live.

References:

Arnold, Johann Christoph. (2014). Screening Out. Community Plaything. http://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/2014/screening-out

BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board. (2018). Is screen time bad for babies and toddlers? Baby Center. https://www.babycenter.com/screen-time-babies-toddlers

Taylor, Jim. (2012). How Technology is Changing the Way Children Think and Focus. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-power-prime/201212/how-technology-is-changing-the-way-children-think-and-focus