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American Psychological Association. (2009, March). Parents and caregivers are essential to children’s Healthy Development. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/families/parents-caregivers-kids-healthy-development#:~:text=They%20offer%20love%2C%20acceptance%2C%20appreciation,cognitively%2C%20emotionally%2C%20and%20socially.

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He was a Russian born American Psychologist best known for his theory of better understanding human development

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Butler, A. (2023). Adolescent identity development. Adolescent Identity Development - ACT for Youth. https://actforyouth.net/adolescence/identity.cfm

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Children build their sense of self, shaping their own beliefs about who they are, and start forging connections through play and interactions with their peers. These experiences play a vital role in their emotional, social, and cognitive growth.

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What is identity development in childhood

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What is identity development in childhood

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As soon as they come into this world, little children start their journey of discovering themselves and their place in the world. They gain knowledge about their identity and how they fit in through interactions with their friends and caregivers. This process of self-discovery is a crucial aspect of their social and emotional growth, which remains a continuous process throughout their childhood.

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Every child possesses a unique social identity. It is the way they perceive their place in society and how they relate to others. Whether it is influenced by their social status, cultural background, ethnicity, hobbies, accomplishments, or personal beliefs, these social identity groups contribute to a child's sense of self-worth and pride, ultimately influencing their self-esteem.

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Societal confirmation of a child's identity can impact the way they feel about themselves.

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Infants begin to develop a sense of trust and can recognize similar and different faces. They gain a sense that they have a place in which they belong, and that they are worthy of being loved and cared for. Help your little ones feel secure by providing comfort when they cry and attending to their needs when they're hungry or sleepy. By doing this promptly, you'll teach them that they can rely on you for support.

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As kids grow up, they start to realize more about themselves and develop a longing for some control over their surroundings and everyday activities. Toddlers absorb the messages they receive about themselves and form an understanding of their identity and abilities. Encourage toddlers to exercise their independence by allowing them to make decisions about their activities, like choosing which book to read or which toys to play with. Additionally, toddlers are at a stage where they can start practicing putting on their own shoes, socks, and jackets, which helps boost their self-assurance in their own capabilities.

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With an increase in physical strength, preschoolers often become curious about experimenting with different ways to move their bodies. During the initial three years of a child's life, they are immersed in a world of learning and conquering new physical skills. Young children derive immense pleasure from practicing newfound abilities purely for the joy it brings them. These physical attributes and capabilities form a significant part of how young children perceive themselves. Even as they grow older and enter preschool, their self-perception revolves primarily around their appearance, preferred toys, and physical capabilities.

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DiMaria, L. (2023, November 13). How kids view themselves can contribute to depression vulnerability. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/the-importance-of-a-childs-social-identity-1066758

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Children rely heavily on their parents and caregivers for love, support, and guidance. These individuals provide a safe and nurturing environment for children to grow and develop their personalities, identities, and physical, cognitive, emotional, and social skills.

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Parents, families, and caregivers ensure children are healthy and safe, equip them with skills and resources to succeed, and transmit basic cultural values

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Parents, families, and caregivers ensure children are healthy and safe, equip them with skills and resources to succeed, and transmit basic cultural values

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A strong emotional connection between parents and children is vital for a thriving parent-child bond, and it also extends to the relationships among siblings and other family members.

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A strong emotional connection between parents and children is vital for a thriving parent-child bond, and it also extends to the relationships among siblings and other family members.

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Parents, families, and caregivers ensure children are healthy and safe, equip them with skills and resources to succeed, and transmit basic cultural values

Cite this

American Psychological Association. (2009, March 31). Parents and caregivers are essential to children's healthy development. https://www.apa.org/topics/families/parents-caregivers-kids-healthy-development

Parents and caregivers are the most important people in a child's life. They offer love, acceptance, appreciation, encouragement, and guidance, and provide the most intimate context for the nurturing and protection of children as they develop their personalities and identities and also as they mature physically, cognitively, emotionally, and socially.

Infancy and childhood

Babies whose needs are met quickly and warmly (e.g., feeding, changing, holding/cradling, and soothing them) achieve a crucial developmental task- attachment. This bond of affection between parents and children is necessary for a healthy parent-child relationship, and also extends to relationships between children, their siblings, and other family members (e.g., grandparents, aunts/uncles, etc) and caregivers. When infants attach successfully to their parents and caregivers, they learn to trust that the outside world is a welcoming place and are more likely to explore and interact with their environment. This lays the groundwork for further social, emotional, and cognitive development.

Research has found that relationships between parents and caregivers and youth that:

are warm, open, and communicative;

include appropriate limits; and

provide reasoning for rules for behavior

are associated with higher self-esteem, better performance in school, and fewer negative outcomes such as depression or drug use in children and teenagers.

In addition, cross-cultural differences in parenting are strongly related to the attitudes, beliefs, traditions, and values of the particular culture or ethnic group within which the family belongs. These parenting practices are also related to the social and economic context in which these families are situated. For instance, a recent study comparing the parenting practices of immigrant Chinese-American parents with that of White American parents found that the Chinese-American parents exhibited greater control of their children's behavior, which was linked to fewer behavior problems in their children.

Adolescence

As children reach adolescence, parents and caregivers face a whole new set of tasks that require new approaches to deal with the changing needs of children. Children are changing on a physical as well as cognitive and social basis.

Parents and caregivers must prepare for the upcoming changes in the parent-child relationship; teens will begin to detach to a greater degree from existing family bonds and focus more on their peers and the outside world. This quest for greater independence and autonomy is a natural part of the developmental process in adolescence. Parents and caregivers must find the delicate balance between maintaining the familial bond and allowing teens increasing autonomy as they mature. Teenagers who feel connected to yet not constrained by their families tend to flourish.

Research has found that parents and caregivers that maintain a warm, communicative, and reasoned style of parenting raise teenagers who have higher rates of socially competent behavior, take fewer drugs, and exhibit less anxiety or depression.

Coping with adversity

Parental, family, and caregiver support is very valuable in helping children and youth cope with adversity, especially if they encounter stigma or prejudice associated with factors such as their race/ethnicity, gender, disability, sexuality, weight or socioeconomic status.

For example, research has found protective outcomes for children of color when their parents and caregivers educate them about racism and prejudice and transmit positive cultural values and beliefs to them about their racial and cultural heritage. This process of racial socialization has been shown to boost self-esteem and academic achievement and reduce depression in ethnic minority youth.

In a similar manner, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth who receive caring and acceptance from family members and caregivers are more likely to exhibit healthy development in adolescence, e.g., participating actively with peers, showing personal autonomy, and looking forward to the future.

Grandparents

The role of grandparents in the rearing of healthy and happy children should not be overlooked. A recent study concluded that spending time with a grandparent is linked with better social skills and fewer behavior problems among teenagers, especially those living in single-parent or stepfamily households. This study found that children and teenagers whose parents have separated or divorced see their grandparents as confidants and sources of comfort. In fact, supportive relationships with other family members outside the immediate family may lead to better adjustment for all children and teenagers.

Family rituals

Family rituals are also instrumental in the healthy development of children and teenagers. Family routines and rituals are an important part of contemporary family life. In fact, there is emerging evidence that children's health and wellbeing is compromised when family members spend less time with each other. For instance, good communication between family members at family mealtimes are associated with reduced anxiety symptoms and respiratory conditions. Family mealtimes may also provide the settings in which to strengthen emotional connections. Lastly, how the family conducts its mealtimes, the regularity of family mealtimes, and the value that the family places on regular family mealtimes may improve nutrition habits and healthy weight in youth.

Families are often the first to notice mental health problems in children due to their intimate involvement in and monitoring of their children's lives. Parents and caregivers in particular serve as critical advocates and essential partners in the prevention and treatment of children's mental health concerns. Psychologists treating behavioral problems in children and teenagers always make engagement of the family a priority as this has been shown to boost positive outcomes for children and families as a whole.

Sources

American Psychological Association. (2008). Answers to your questions: For a better understanding of sexual orientation and homosexuality (En español). Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved May 29, 2009.

American Psychological Association Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice for Children and Adolescents. (2008). Disseminating evidence-based practice for children and adolescents: A systems approach to enhancing care. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Retrieved May 29, 2009.

American Psychological Association Task Force on Resilience and Strength in Black Children and Adolescents. (2008). Resilience in African American children and adolescents: A vision for optimal development. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved May 29, 2009.

Attar-Schwartz, S., Tan, J., Buchanan, A., Griggs, J., & Flouri, E. (2009). Grandparenting and adolescent adjustment in two-parent biological, lone-parent, and step-families. Journal of Family Psychology, 23(1), 67-75.

Fiese, B. H. (2006, Summer). Family mealtimes: Opportunities for child and family health and wellbeing. CYF News (pp. 2-4). Retrieved May 29, 2009.

Ho, C., Bluestein, D., & Jenkins, J. (2008). Cultural differences in the relationship between parenting and children's behavior. Developmental Psychology, 44(2), 507-522.

Huntsinger, C. & Jose, P. (2009). Relations among parental acceptance and control and children's social adjustment in Chinese American and European American families. Journal of Family Psychology, 23(3), 321-330.

Kreppner, K. (2000). Parent-child relationship: Adolescence. In A. E. Kazdin (Ed). Encyclopedia of psychology, Vol. 6. (pp. 50-55). Washington, DC; New York, NY: American Psychological Association; Oxford University Press.

Lerner, J. V., & Castellino, D. R. (2000). Parent-child relationship: Childhood. In A. E. Kazdin (Ed). Encyclopedia of psychology, Vol. 6. (pp. 46-50). Washington, DC; New York, NY: American Psychological Association; Oxford University Press.

Resources for parents and caregivers

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Parents and caregivers are essential to children's healthy development

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Parents, families and caregivers ensure children are healthy and safe, equip them with skills and resources to succeed, and transmit basic cultural values

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Ey, L.-A. (2016). Sexualised music media and children’s gender role and self-identity development: a four-phase study. Sex Education, 16(6), 634–648. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2016.1162148

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The teenage years are a crucial time for building a strong and confident sense of self. While identity development continues throughout our lives, it is during adolescence that we first start to ponder how our identity shapes our experiences. During this phase, we become acutely aware of the changes happening within us and how they impact our lives. Adolescence plays a vital role in shaping one's self and identity. It is a time when individuals make commitments, set personal goals, find motivations, and strive for psychosocial well-being. During this phase, teenagers yearn for independence, seeking to break free from their parents' influence. They also become more involved in social circles, placing a higher value on their connections with peers. As a result, their self-evaluations become more intricate and varied across different roles and relationships. Additionally, adolescents often experience heightened self-consciousness and show a keen interest in how others perceive them.

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Pfeifer JH, Berkman ET. The Development of Self and Identity in Adolescence: Neural Evidence and Implications for a Value-Based Choice Perspective on Motivated Behavior. Child Dev Perspect. 2018 Sep;12(3):158-164. doi: 10.1111/cdep.12279. Epub 2018 Feb 8. PMID: 31363361; PMCID: PMC6667174.

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Sexualized music media and children’s gender role 

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Sexualized music media and children’s gender role 

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and self-identity development: a four-phase study

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His theory of child development is the belief that human development is shaped by the interaction of an individual and their environment

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The 5 stages of Bronfenbrenner's ecological model

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The 5 stages of Bronfenbrenner's ecological model

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1. Microsystem

2. Mesosystem

3. Ecosystem

4. Macrosystem

5. Chronosystem

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The microsystem refers to the environment where we engage in face-to-face social interactions with individuals and social entities. It encompasses our family, friends, classmates, teachers, neighbors, and anyone else we directly interact with. According to the theory, we are not passive recipients of experiences, but active participants in shaping these environments. We have the power to influence the people and systems in our lives, just as they have the power to influence us.

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The mesosystem is all about how the different parts of your life connect. So, what happens in your family can affect what happens at school. For instance, if a kid's parents neglect them, they might not have a good relationship with their teachers. They might also feel uncomfortable around their classmates and choose to be alone instead.

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The exosystem refers to the systems that indirectly affect a child's development. These systems are not directly in contact with the child, but they still have an impact on their life. For instance, if a parent is demoted at work, they may bring home negative emotions that can affect their interactions with their child. Even though the child may never meet the parent's boss, the boss still has an influence on the parent's behavior towards the child.

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The macrosystem setting refers to the real culture that surrounds a person. This culture encompasses various factors such as the child's socioeconomic status, ethnicity or race, and the particular society they are a part of.

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The chronosystem brings in the element of time and encompasses the changes and shifts that occur throughout a person's life. A prime illustration of this is the impact of divorce, a significant life transition, on both the couple's relationship and their children's behavior. Numerous studies suggest that children experience negative effects in the initial year following the divorce. However, as time goes on, the subsequent years may show a more stable and harmonious interaction within the family.

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Though there are educational implications..

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Though there are educational implications..

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The educational implications of his model extend to the social and political policies and practices that affect children, families, and caregiving. As teachers and educators strive to become evidence-based practitioners, it is essential to identify the factors that influence students' learning and development, such as caregivers, family, peers, culture, and historical perspectives.

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After asking my brother these questions I realized that he has never questioned who he is and has always just gone along with everything that has been tossed his way. He has never questioned his identity or what his purpose is because he has grown to understand the social norms of having an identity and how each identity has different social interactions. In elementary school, students rely on their classmates and teachers to help mold them into who they are and want to be. So with that, I asked him a final question about if any of his past or current teachers have helped shape him into who he is and he said yes. He said that his teachers have helped him develop a sense of understanding of individuality and continue to help him discover more about his likes and dislikes.

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There are a number of resources that can be used as a parent to help a child develop their identity

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There are a number of resources that can be used as a parent to help a child develop their identity

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To help children achieve a positive identity, parents should focus on four areas of development: personal power, self-esteem, sense of purpose and a positive view of one’s personal future.

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There is a site that helps children build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. They help by creating learning experiences that build inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience that kids can carry to everything they do.

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When we began, we knew we were opening access to the game. What we discovered was that we were also opening access to powerful personal growth.

First Tee began in 1997 as a partnership among the LPGA, the Masters Tournament, the PGA of America, the PGA TOUR, and the USGA to make golf affordable and accessible for all kids. As we introduced the game, we also introduced a life skills curriculum that supported the development of values found within the game of golf, including honesty, integrity, perseverance and respect. This was a game changer - for the kids, and for our organization. Now, for over two decades we've been committed to helping kids build character strengths and important life skills through the game and providing all kids with access to opportunities for personal growth in a fun and safe environment. While we began on golf courses, we expanded by bringing our program to physical education classes across the country through our in-school and after-school programs.

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History When we began, we knew we were opening access to the game. What we discovered was that we were also opening access to powerful personal growth. First Tee began in 1997 as a partnership among the LPGA, the Masters Tournament, the PGA of America, the PGA TOUR, and the USGA to make golf affordable [...]

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Since its inception in 1997, First Tee has been a collaborative effort between the LPGA, the Masters Tournament, the PGA of America, the PGA TOUR, and the USGA to ensure that golf is affordable and accessible for all children. Alongside introducing the game, they also implemented a life skills curriculum that fosters values such as honesty, integrity, perseverance, and respect, which are integral to golf. This initiative has been a game-changer for both the kids and our organization. For more than twenty years, they have remained dedicated to helping children develop character strengths and essential life skills through the game while providing them with opportunities for personal growth in a fun and secure environment. Although they initially started on golf courses, we have expanded our program to include physical education classes nationwide through our in-school and after-school programs.

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Over the years, society has come to realize that the stereotypes associated with "masculine" and "feminine" activities and behaviors are not only inaccurate but also restrict a child's growth. It is important to understand that these interests have no bearing on an individual's gender identity.

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From a young age, boys are often encouraged to explore the outdoors and have exciting experiences, while girls are typically expected to stay at home and complete household tasks. In many societies, girls are discouraged from taking the lead in any type of relationship and by the age of 10, they may already feel that their physical appearance is their most valuable asset.

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Sign in to EBSCO Research Services to gain access to your library or organization's subscription of EBSCOhost Databases, Discovery Service and Explora.

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It's fascinating to see how children become aware of gender expectations from a young age. Studies across different cultures have shown that by the time they're two or three years old, children already understand gender roles. And by the age of four or five, they are fully immersed in the culturally defined roles considered appropriate for their gender. This happens through the process of socialization, where children learn to behave in ways that align with the values, beliefs, and attitudes of their society.

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Children who have the freedom to explore a variety of toys, are exposed to non-traditional gender roles, and have parents and caregivers who encourage them to engage in non-traditional play (such as boys nurturing dolls or girls playing doctor) often develop more inclusive perspectives on gender and are less likely to adhere to gender stereotypes.

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Gender and Early Childhood | Lifespan Development