Our next stop on Erik Erikson’s journey through psychosocial development takes us to late childhood. Each of Erikson’s eight stages highlights a core psychosocial conflict that shapes personality development. As a play therapist, I’ll apply Erikson’s concepts to help support your child’s brain and personality development, laying the groundwork for a fulfilling life. Join me as we explore how you can support your child during this vital stage of growth.
Understanding the Early Childhood Stage
In previous stages, your child has built a sense of self and identity. Between ages 5 and 11, your child begins to explore how their growing sense of identity fits into the larger world. They strive to develop new skills and take pride in their accomplishments. These formative years in elementary school are critical for the development of self-confidence and a sense of competence as individuals. However, as their successes can build industry, their failures can foster feelings of inferiority. Inferiority doesn’t happen all at once. When a child faces repeated failures without adequate support from teachers and parents, they may begin to doubt their abilities and future.
How Play Supports Industry
In the last blog, we discussed play as a creative and explorative outlet. Play remains vital during this stage, though its purpose evolves. In the late childhood stage, play becomes more structured with rules and goals. Playing with peers requires a new skill of cooperation and teamwork as well. Taking on creative projects, role-playing, and team games can all aid in building self-confidence when encouraged and supported appropriately (For more on this, see my blog on the difference between praise and encouragement). Positive reinforcement builds not only confidence but resilience and perseverance as well. We can all agree that these are essential skills that continue to shape us as we grow.
Supporting Struggles with Inferiority
I’d love to say your child will never make a mistake or experience a failure, but that is not realistic. Even the most gifted child will run into an instance of failure and it can be detrimental to their self-confidence if not supported appropriately. One of the most powerful things you can do for your child is encourage their efforts rather than praise the outcomes. They wouldn’t have earned that A without studying, or made that goal without practice. Celebrating the result turns the source of your child’s self-worth towards others’ opinions and positive results, not the efforts they exerted along the way. If you notice your child beginning to withdraw, have perfectionistic ideals, or give up easily, these could all be signs that they are feeling inadequate. Failure can be a safe and valuable learning experience, but only when parents and teachers create an environment that allows it. We want our children to try, fail, and try again because they are intrinsically motivated, not simply to earn praise. When you support your child’s skills, interests, and even their failures, you nurture an intrinsically motivated, confident individual.
If you need guidance in this area, please feel free to reach out!
