Children’s Self-Identity and Family Contexts

Running head: CHILDREN’S SELF-IDENTITY AND FAMILY CONTEXTS
CHILDREN’S SELF-IDENTITY AND FAMILY CONTEXTS
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1CHILDREN’S SELF-IDENTITY AND FAMILY CONTEXTS
Introduction
Babies are identified as born communicators and are highly competent of experiencing
and exhibiting a broad range of emotions. With the courses of several positive interactions with
caregivers, infants or young children develop the sense of awareness about them and initiate their
enjoyment relating to others (Cooper, Masi & Vick, 2009). Infants or young children further
attain the understanding and ideas of the way to manage wide range of emotions and feelings to
communicate effectively and obtain the needs and requirements which need to be accomplished.
Children’s experiences during the stage of their initial years influence the functioning of their
brains, processes through which they respond towards stress and their capability to establish
trusting associations. The brain during these phases of criticality experiences its most striking
development, further establishing the platform for social, emotional and psychological
development (Collett & Speltz, 2006). Linguistic ability develops that is the essential form of
motor abilities and thought process becomes highly complex thus letting young children to
comprehend their own sentiments, feelings and those of others (Cooper, Masi & Vick, 2009).
The following essay evaluates the social, psychological and emotional development of children
aged from infant to 5 years. In addition to this, the paper further sheds light on the way Erik
Erikson and Bowlby explained the stages of psychosocial development and attachment theory of
development and wellbeing.
Discussion
Social development fundamentally engages gain ideas of the values, perceptions,
knowledge and expertises which further facilitate infants and young children to associate to
others in an effective manner and to contribute in positive ways to family, school as well as the

2CHILDREN’S SELF-IDENTITY AND FAMILY CONTEXTS
community (Tronick, 1989). This form of learning has been expanded to children directly by the
ones who care for them or teach them and further directs them through forms of social
relationships within the family and through children’s involvement in the culture around them.
Through their associations with others and their ranging awareness of social values, ideas and
expectations, young children develop a sense of their identity as well as their social roles
accessible to them. As young children develop socially they both tend to be responsive towards
the influences around them and tend to serve a critical role in altering their relationships (Vaish,
Grossmann & Woodward, 2008). While parents and caregivers are identified as vital influencers
of social development of children, there can be identified other critical decisive factors of social
developments as well. Collett & Speltz, (2006) have observed that children’s growth and
development has been highly influenced by broader networks of social support which involves
their extended family, friends along with religious groups integrated to them. These associations
or networks essentially provide opportunities for children up to 5 years to effectively develop
their sense of social awareness and competencies as they associate to various people and also
encounter wide array of roles as well as expectations (Cole, Martin & Dennis, 2004).
Darling-Churchill & Lippman, (2016) hold the opinion that friendships, belongingness
and associations with other children tend to develop into more crucial to children as they raise
and initiate their learning regarding associating with others. Infants and young children who
develop the understanding of positive friendship abilities have exhibited tendencies to develop
enhanced relationships with others which further aid their cognitive health and welfare. Thus it
can be stated that infants’ and children’s earliest and most crucial learning experiences about
social associations emerges within familial contexts (Colmer, Rutherford & Murphy, 2011). At
these stages parents and caregivers of infants and young children can sustain social growth when

3CHILDREN’S SELF-IDENTITY AND FAMILY CONTEXTS
they model forms of dignity, respect and consideration and further inspire children to respond
with utmost respect in all associations.
Psychological development regarded as the development of humans’ cognitive,
emotional, intellectual along with social competencies along with the functioning through the life
span from infant age through maturity. This psychological development is identified as an area
of discipline known as developmental psychology (Dss.gov.au, 2018). Child psychology has
been identified as a customary focus of study, however 21st century has efficiently developed
ideas about infancy and adulthood as well. Infants typically create rapid progress in both
recognition and recall memory and further augment their capacity to comprehend as well as
predict events in their surroundings (Earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au 2018). However an essential
development at the stage of infancy and young childhood relies on the identification of object
performance which is the awareness that external entities have its existence in autonomy of the
infant’s perception about them. Cooper, Masi & Vick, (2009) have been observed that healthy
and strong development of infants and young children primarily relies on excellence of care and
early contact and attachments. Young children who show psychological as well as physiological
needs are accomplished tend to develop high level of self-buoyancy, improved cognitive
efficiency along with self-control abilities (Collett & Speltz, 2006).
Author considered the neurobiology of early stage of affection and observed that primary
caregivers’ treatment and care impacts the maturing limbic system of young children and the
flexibility of mental condition. It has further been evaluated that early attachment events of
young children tend to determine the growth and development of the appropriate hemisphere
(Berk & Meyers, 1996). For instance, during interpersonal interactions formed between mother
and infant, a child’s brain experience essentially raises levels of dopamine that affirmatively