We’re now moving onto early childhood, the second stage in Erik Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development. Each of the eight stages denotes a specific psychosocial conflict as a defining characteristic of personality development. As I am a play therapist, we will be applying Erikson’s concepts to aid in fostering your child’s brain and personality development to set them up for fulfillment across their lifespan.
Understanding the Early Childhood Stage
Our next stage immediately follows the infancy stage with the age window covering ages 1 to 3. This stage focuses on your child building a sense of self as they struggle with Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt, asking themselves, “Is it okay to be me?” You may find this question ambiguous, but it speaks volumes. You have built the foundation of trust as discussed in my previous blog and now your child is ready to take on the world. They want to be curious, make choices, and build independence, all within the bounds of their development of course. There are steps you can take that can foster and grow your child’s self-sufficiency through encouragement, patience, and appropriate boundaries. However, if the child is met with constant correction or harsh criticism, they begin to doubt their abilities to complete these tasks, and thus, form feelings of doubt and shame. If this stage is not well attended to, it can have detrimental long-term effects in their ability to navigate challenges and make decisions.
Signs and Struggles
Did your child just tell you no? Or did they want to try something on their own? These are signs that your child is trying to create autonomy. Even engaging in self-care activities like dressing themselves or brushing their own hair can send the message that you believe them to be capable. You may be surprised that the so-called ‘terrible twos’ often illustrate your child’s steps towards independence. Defiance and tantrums are not only outcries for support, but they are pleas for a say in their life. When a parent’s response to such incidents are one of criticism, aggression, and overcorrection, the child may begin to feel incapable or discouraged. Navigating these scenarios with patience, connection, and encouragement will help your child feel empowered to accomplish developmentally appropriate tasks and learn valuable decision-making skills. Potty training is a great way to practice patience and support during this stage. This is not only a much-needed step, but it is a vulnerable one. Connection and encouragement are integral to mastering this skill.
Strategies to Support Autonomy
I’ve mentioned the importance of offering choices and allowing your child to make decisions. The perfect place to provide such opportunities is within play. You can propose choices such as, “Do you want markers or crayons?” or “You get to decide which stuffies join our tea party.” These kinds of responses not only tap into your child’s development of autonomy, but they also build connections in their brain to the higher-level thinking areas. Establishing safe boundaries that encourage exploration will also have the same effect. As they continue to strengthen this connection, they will be more confident in their abilities to accomplish tasks and make informed decisions, even through adulthood, all because of play! Consistent support will foster lifelong resilience and self-sufficiency, which I believe all parents ultimately desire for their children.
If you need guidance in this area, please feel free to reach out!
