A human being goes through various developmental stages that influence life in one way or the other. These phases are very essential since they act as learning stages for humans. It is of great importance to understand these phases and what is expected at the various stages of life. A person’s character and behavior are developed in these stages and thus, they need to be handled with the seriousness that they deserve. A child aged 10 years is in the middle childhood developmental stage, which lasts between 8-11 years (Papalia, Olds & Feldman, 2013). A child experiences many physical, mental, emotional, moral, and sexual changes during this developmental stage that influence their behavior and activity. The US National Research Council (1984) posited that middle adulthood marks the beginning of the “age of reason” when a child is assume to develop new capabilities as they are assigned roles and responsibilities within their family and community. This owes to the fact that at middle childhood, the child can perform acts such as self-care, seek independence form family, and develop a worldview of life as they start school. The time is critical for the development of confidence in all areas of life, and this can be achieved through friends, schoolwork, and sports. Such engagements present the opportunity for the child to explore his/her environment and along the way, make mistakes that would act as a learning lesson. This paper, through observation of a 10-year-old boy, seeks to explore the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development aspects of middle childhood and their influence on behavior at this life stage.
Example for Physical Development
The 10-year old boy that was observed in this case study demonstrated high levels of hyperactivity, and never remained still or at once specific place in the living room throughout the observation time. This observation is consistent with the findings in Verloigne, Van Lippevelde, Maes et al. (2012) on the levels of physical activity between boys and girls in middle childhood, which showed that boys spent significantly less time sedentary (474 minutes/day) than girls (500 minutes/day). Therefore, the boy observed met the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity recommendations of at least 60 minutes per day. Papalia, Olds, and Feldman (2013) attributed the high levels of physical activity observed to changes in growth, body and brain, sensory capacities, motor skills, and health. The most repetitive phrase noted during the observation was, “I want to go and play with my friends.” This justifies the assertions that children express high levels of physical activity while in the company of peers. It is theorized that at middle childhood, antisocial behavior and spending of time alone in the playground decrease significantly. This can be attributed to the increased importance attached to friendships by children at this life stage.
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Example for Cognitive Development
Another notable behavior trait of the 10-year-old boy was his persistence to arrange their toys in a particular pattern, and complaints that they were missing some pieces they thought were critical in accomplishing what they wanted to do. “I need a larger roof for my castle like John’s,” they could be heard muttering. These observations are consistent with Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, which postulates the extent to which children in middle childhood become capable of logical thinking, reasoning, and problem solving in a variety of tasks (National Research Council, 1984). At middle childhood, the boy demonstrated change and stability in learning, memory, and language that characterize cognitive development. The behavior demonstrated illustrated significant progress in the development of mental skills, learning of better ways to describe experiences and talk about thoughts and feelings, and have concern for others. Such cognitive development is also crucial in developing understanding of their social and subjective worlds.
Example for Psychosocial Development
The boy observed demonstrated exceptional levels of independence in their tasks. Whenever their sibling approached them and inquired what they were doing, the response was immediate and harsh. “I do not need your help; I will practice it with John and Jerry.” Such behavior boards on Erik Erikson theory on the development of a sense of industry and Harry Stack Sullivan's interpretation of the importance of interpersonal relationships during middle childhood (National Research Council, 1984). The observation is also consistent with assertions advanced in Papalia, Olds, and Feldman (2013) that children at this life stage demonstrated more independence from parents and family. Their understanding of their place in the world inspires a broader view of life and thoughts for the future. In addition, children want to be likeable and acceptable by friends, hence pay more attention to friendships and teamwork. The behavior characterizes the need for self-esteem based on their perceptions of themselves on areas of importance. The high self-esteem is instrumental in self-respect and respect for the family, and is the beginning of the marking of own social stands in appearance, behavior, and capabilities in comparison to those in their environment.
Christian Worldview of the Developmental Examples
The bible verse in Ecclesiastes 3:1 emphasis on there being ‘time for everything.’ The subsequent verse list the times … a time to give birth, a time to die …. The implication of the verse in this context is that Christianity recognizes and appreciates the existence of different life stages. The importance of this understanding is that it can be linked to childhood developmental theories that emphasize on physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes and differences in behavior associated with them. The observation made in this case study corroborate middle childhood development theories in respect to the link between development and behavior. Therefore, one can argue that understanding the scripture’s take on development is begging of application of childhood development theories. This understanding bridges the gap that has existed between scientific/philosophical and religious perceptions of development. The different worldviews of childhood development and life stages makes parenting decision easier.
Conclusion
The observation of the 10-year-old boy led to the conclusion that their behavior is demonstrative of the link between the changes in their physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development. It can be argued that the visible energy drawn from physical development during middle childhood is directed towards creativity and productivity, which are instrumental parameters for measurement of progress in thinking and learning capabilities. It is also evident that the boy strove to accomplish tasks through useful skills with the aim to gain social recognition among peers and adults in their environment. Therefore, it is important for parents and guardians to recognize that developmental changes in children bring different behavioral characteristics. This is imperative in nurturing children to fulfil their potential at every life stage. These children, consequently, need to be supported and given an opportunity to develop. This freedom to explore would help in the creation of their individual characters. It will also give them a chance to have firsthand experience in dealing with diverse situations. Some of the attributes obtained from such ventures include decision-making skills, perseverance and patience. In the long run, they grow to be responsible adults and would be well versed with their environment. In all this, parents are key since they are seen as role models who would offer any relevant assistance to the children so that they understand right from wrong.
References
National Research Council. (1984). Development during middle childhood: The years from six to twelve . National Academies.
Papalia, D. E., Olds, S. W., & Feldman, R. D. (2013). A child's world: Infancy through adolescence . McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages.
Verloigne, M., Van Lippevelde, W., Maes, L., Yıldırım, M., Chinapaw, M., Manios, Y., ... & De Bourdeaudhuij, I. (2012). Levels of physical activity and sedentary time among 10-to 12-year-old boys and girls across 5 European countries using accelerometers: an observational study within the ENERGY-project. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity , 9 (1), 34.
