Author: MJT
Developmental Stages And The Parenting Issue They Generate
Parents deal with all kinds of problems and issues over the
course of raising a family. The
parenting issue they might deal with will change over time as the child grows
and develops. Sigmund Freud’s
psychosexual developmental stages provide a good context for identifying the
major issues parents encounter with each stage.
Oral stage
Babies from birth to about two are in the oral stage of
development, where they are focused on their mouths. At birth, suckling is the only fully
coordinated activity they can do, and they get both food and comfort from
it. Their mouths are their most mature
sense organ, and they explore the world by sticking everything in their mouths.
Issues at this stage include feeding issues—breast versus
bottle, when to introduce solid foods, and others. Safety is another oral stage issue; parents
have to secure cabinet doors and keep everything out of reach so baby doesn’t
put harmful things in his mouth.
Anal Stage
Freud’s next stage is the anal stage, and the major issue
parents’ deal with here is potty training.
Genital stage
The preschool years define the genital stage, when the child
discovers he has body parts, and that other people have body parts. A parenting
issue in the genital stage has to do with gender identity. Boys and girls begin to behave and interact
differently. One distressing behavior
that sometimes arises in the genital stage is “playing doctor.”
Parents quickly learn to discretely discourage inappropriate
play and reinforce socially acceptable rules about keeping oneself dressed in
public. Masturbation is another common
parenting issue in the genital stage that parents learn to discourage in
public.
Latency
A child in latency is a school-aged child, and this is the
time of skill-building. Children develop
intellectually, socially and emotionally.
They learn how to develop friendships, they learn about the world and
they learn to do things. They develop a
sense of competence and self-esteem.
Parents often deal with moral issues, like lying, stealing and cheating,
during these years.
Adolescence
Adolescence is the time of final maturation and separation
from the family. Parents deal with different issues during the different stages
of childhood. By using a developmental
framework, parents can look ahead, and prepare for the bumps in the road that
may be coming up. They can anticipate
the next type of parenting issue they will be dealing with and find out what
resources are available.
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