Child Development (AO2)

AO2

There are many different factors, which have affected Jayden’s development; these factors are shown below, which state how they have actually had an impact on Jayden’s development.

The family

There are many different family structures. Children can live from a range of family structures for many different reasons. As long as the child is provided with the three most important factors, which are love, care and attention, it shouldn’t matter what family structure the child comes from. In the past, a family structure was mostly known for two married parents living with their children in the same home. This has now changed a lot because of the increased proportion of divorces, partners living together without being married, single parents, etc. The family structures include:

Nuclear families – this is when the children and their parents live together. The parents are usually the primary carers for their children.
Extended families – this is when the children live with their parents as well as other family relatives, for example uncles, cousins, etc. It could also be that the children live with their parents, with close family relatives living near by.
Lone- parent families – this is when the children live with only one of their natural parents.
Reconstituted families – this is when the children live with only one of their natural parents and one step-parent. This could also include the step-parent’s children, meaning the children would have step-sisters and/or step-brothers.

(Neil Moonie, Et Al, 2006)

Jayden comes from an extended family. He lives with his primary carers, which are his mother and father and two siblings. However, he is always surrounded by his large family of aunties, uncles, cousins, etc who live very close by to his house. This means that he gets to see them a lot and is always spending time with them.

Jayden is 8 years old; he is the eldest child and he has a 3-year-old brother and an 18 months sister. This has caused a lot of neglect towards Jayden. As he is the eldest child, he has a big responsibility to behave well to set an example to his siblings. As his youngest sibling is only 18 months old, she receives most of the attention because she needs looking after the most. This has a great affect on Jayden, as although he still receives love and affection from his family, he does not receive much attention compared to his other siblings. This is why he loves spending time with his cousins, aunties and uncles and other relatives, as they show him a lot of attention, and also support and love him.

Jayden has also been affected emotionally through a death in his family. When Jayden was 4 years old, his 3-month sister died of cot death. His mother became mentally ill and had a condition called ‘post-natal depression’. Because of this, he was always being looked after by relatives and was very confused at that age. He didn’t understand where his sister had gone and what death meant. He would always ask ‘When is she coming back, where has she gone?’ As he grew older, he started to understand more. He used to get upset a lot but now he has come to terms with the idea of his sister not coming back. His parents never stop him from asking questions about her so that he can understand it more and move on. When his youngest sibling was born, he would wonder if she too would leave, but he soon realized she wasn’t going to. At the time, when his mother was ill, it affected Jayden a lot as he was always moving from place-to-place and he could sense something was wrong. Being moved to different relatives houses at the time was hard for Jayden as he was confused and was never settled in one environment. He felt insecure and would always ask for his mother, as that is where he felt self.

He is now eight years old and still remembers his three-month sister. He now knows how to cope with his emotions, as he understands more. However, because of this incident occurring when he was very young, it has made him feel very protective over his eighteen-month sister. For example, if she falls and hurts herself, he would always look out for her and make sure she is ok. When his sister visits family houses, he would ask his parents ‘when is she coming back’, as he would feel insecure without her. This is not so much the same with his three-year-old brother, as they do not bond very well together. They are always fighting and his younger brother is always getting Jayden into trouble, which clearly Jayden does not like.

His father has taught him a lot about eating a balanced diet. Jayden is always educating other children of his age about how important it is to eat healthily to become ‘big and strong’. His diet consists of fresh vegetables and fruits everyday. A glass of milk before he goes to sleep is also essential for him. He also has a moderate proportion of meat and dairy products. His overall diet is excellent, as his parents encourage him to eat healthily and only on occasions he will have fizzy drinks and sweets.

Generally Jayden is a polite young child who loves watching TV. TV is his ‘time alone’ from his siblings and other annoyances. He often plays by himself (the way he likes it), as his siblings are too young to play the games he likes. Although he does like playing with other people within his age group or with those more mature than him, for example his friends and cousins, and sometimes he plays board games with adults in his family. His favourite interest at the moment is either watching movies, playing board games that stimulate his mind and involve ...

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This shows that Jayden’s welfare is being looked after well. He lives in a safe and secure house. His house is in excellent condition to meet Jayden’s physical needs (this is discussed in more detail in the next section). He is definitely not neglected from any of his basic needs, which are warmth, shelter and food. His parents encourage Jayden to be independent and look after his health. This is encouraged by explaining the importance of having a balanced diet, wearing appropriate clothes according to the weather and always being safe in his surroundings. For example, if Jayden were to go to the park with his family, his parents would encourage Jayden to not go too far and stay close in case he gets lost of strangers approach him. He has learnt a lot from his parents about his basic needs.

Jayden’s parents have tried to encourage him to be independent, as they do not want him to feel insecure anymore, as this is how he feels from when his sister passed away. However, they also provide Jayden with warmth and love to make Jayden feel safe and secure, so that he can form a trusting relationship with his parents, to know that they will never leave him.

He is also loved very much and supported throughout his studies, and other responsibilities that he faces throughout his everyday life. They provide Jayden with the best education at school and privately too. He attends a private college for his age group, where he develops his intellectual ability further. His parents always make sure they promote learning as being fun, to enable Jayden to do well and not get distracted. They are always helping him with his homework, making sure Jayden attempts the homework himself to his best ability.

Jayden’s parents believe that their religion and culture is important. They have taught Jayden a lot about their religion and what they believe in. This has not been forced on Jayden, as they have given him the choice of what he wants to believe. Although their holy significance, which is their temple, is encouraged on Jayden to attend there. This helps them to discipline Jayden and make him understand the importance of doing good deeds in his life to help those in need. Although Jayden is very lucky to be equipped with luxury items, his parents want him to appreciate them by seeing those who are in need of even basic needs.

Their culture as also taught Jayden to respect his family and look after those older than him, as they have always looked after him. For example, Jayden’s grandparents play a big part in his life, he has learnt to respect and look after their needs, just the way they respect and look after Jayden’s needs. He has been taught the importance of giving and not receiving, and respecting those who respect him through his religion and culture.

This shows that he has been taught the norms and values of their culture, which has provided Jayden with the basis to become economically independent as an adult. Their culture has also taught Jayden the difference between right and wrong, and the importance to behave appropriately and have the right attitude.

Overall, Jayden is provided with the basis of how to behave in today’s society, as well as being looked after:

Physically – through warmth, shelter and healthy food.
Intellectually – by supporting and encouraging Jayden’s studies
Socially – by being independent and interacting with his family and friends
Emotionally – by comforting him when he is not well, looking after him, loving, supporting and caring for his overall needs.

More importantly, they have tried to build Jayden’s confidence by supporting him throughout his life, this is so that he can be independent and not be affected by his sister’s death. They also promote the fact that they will always love and support Jayden no matter what he does in his life. He is able to become the person he wants to be without his parents forcing a status on him.

Environmental Factors

Environmental factors could affect Jayden’s development. Jayden lives in an environment that is not quite safe; there is a lot of crime around his area. This could affect Jayden, as he is not able to play on his street with his other neighbours. Jayden’s parents do not like Jayden going out on the streets in case something happens. They are worried that he will either get run over or be kidnapped, as they have heard different stories on the news about these things happening. Jayden understands this but feels very isolated from his neighbours. This is preventing Jayden to develop his social skills, as he is not able to play with his neighbours. As Jayden lives in a deprived area, he is most at risk of social exclusion.

However, there are plenty of facilities for Jayden to access, as he lives in a town. He occasionally goes swimming with his family and enjoys it. This gives Jayden the opportunity to develop all of his gross motor skills to his full extent by kicking, splashing and swimming in the pool. He also visits his local library once a week to read different books. This has a great impact on his intellectual development, as he is able to read a range of books from a service near by.

Because of this unfortunate incident or Jayden’s sister passing away, they moved house straight away to have a fresh start. Jayden now lives in a new environment where he has built a new life with new friends, leaving old memories behind, although his sister is still in his thoughts. His house is a semi-detached house with a garden. There is plenty to do in his new home and in his area. His house consists of three bedrooms, a toilet, kitchen, living room, conservatory room and a garden.

His house is fairly big, the perfect size for Jayden, his two siblings and his parents. He has to share a room with his brother, although this does not bother him as much as having a bunk bed separates them. Jayden sleeps at the top; this is where he can escape from his brother and other pressures that he may be dealing with. He loves his bedroom, as it is equipped with all of his favourite games and electronic items.

Generally, the house is very clean and tidy. There is no clutter and every item has its place, which helps prevent clutter. I think this has an affect on Jayden, as he is slightly compulsively tidy and clean; he has been since he was a baby. I think this is genetic, as his mother is like this too. This means that he is always helping his mother with chores around the house. Sometimes he cleans his bedroom and the living room without being told to.

There is plenty of room around his house for Jayden to be by himself if he wants some ‘alone time’ or if he wants to play with his family and friends. They also have a fair size garden, with loads of out-door toys and activities to play with. His favourite out-door equipment is his bike and the swing. This shows that Jayden’s physical health is looked after very well. Jayden’s health would be affected a lot if Jayden were to live in poor conditions where there was dirt everywhere, damped ceilings and poor hygiene. However, this is prevented as his house condition is up to high standards of hygiene and cleanliness.

The security of the house is very good too. They have an alarm system that is put on every time they leave the house. This is to prevent burglary and robbery. They have never had a problem with this however; as their neighbours keep a watch out for their house when they know the family are not at home. Although Jayden’s house is in a high-crime area, the actual block of houses near him are very nice and on quiet roads. This may not stop crime, but it definitely prevents it when there are neighbours watching out and an alarm system built into the house.

Overall, I think that Jayden’s physical development and intellectual development have been affected positively as there are a lot of services to facilitate such development. Not only is there the library and swimming pool, there is a sports club close by where a range of sports are taken place. There are a lot of social facilities too, like going to the cinema, playing bowling or going to Snakes and Ladders, which is a wacky warehouse where children can play and have fun. Although Jayden cannot play with his neighbours outside, he usually socialises with them by taking them to these social facilities. This makes Jayden very happy, as he is able to have fun with his friends, which has a positive outcome to his emotional development.

(Neil Moonie, Et Al, 2006)

Social and Economic Factors

Financially, Jayden’s parents’ income is very high. His father has a better income than his mother, but with both of them working, Jayden is able to lead a luxury life. His father works during the weekdays, which means his mother, looks after him and his two siblings throughout the weekdays. During the weekends, his mother works part time, meaning Jayden and his siblings are looked after and can spend time with their father

Jayden’s parents have also got involved in the property development. They recently bought a flat and rented it, to allow more profit and income to Jayden’s parents in the long run. This is an excellent decision that his parents made, as they have the finances to buy a flat, and in the long run, they will be better off. This could also affect Jayden, as the flat may be for him to have when he is older. He will also learn a lot from his parent’s financial status, and will hopefully want to be more like his parents. This means that he would be encouraged to do well in school to be able to buy all the luxury items that his parent’s have bought for him; Jayden’s parents are a role model to him.

Jayden is able to have the luxury items that not many people have, such as a computer, toys, fashion accessories, travel opportunities, etc. He also spends a lot of time with both parents as they make time for all their children. This is important for Jayden, as he needs his parents support to develop and learn new skills.

Jayden’s culture may also have a great impact on him when meeting new people. For example, when Jayden goes to school, he fits in well with his friends as his first language is English and they enjoy the same things. However, if Jayden’s religion were to be mentioned, he would feel embarrassed to explain it to people, as he would think they would laugh at him. Because of this, Jayden tends to keep his culture and religion quite confidential. This is not good, as Jayden is being forced to be a person he isn’t. He needs to start learning how to be open with his peers about his religion. This will eventually make him feel confident about himself and have a higher self-concept, as he is accepting who he is. This is stopping Jayden from developing his social skills, as he is not being open with his friends and any interaction with them, is limited to what can be said, which is not right. Jayden has basic human rights, one of them being free from discrimination; therefore I feel that he should be open about his religion to enable a better relationship between him and his friends.

I think that Jayden has a well secure relationship with his parent. However, Jayden is disciplined as well. His mother is more strict that his father. Jayden is always being disciplined to know what is right from wrong. However, he sometimes gets disciplined for unfair behaviour, i.e. his younger brother trying to get Jayden in trouble. The mother will automatically tell Jayden he is the eldest and that he should know better. This can affect Jayden, as he is not always being told off for the right reasons. This has created a breakdown for Jayden and his brother’s relationship. Jayden does not like his brother because he is always getting him into trouble. Jayden feels helpless at times because his mother usually sticks up for his younger brother. This is why Jayden likes a lot of alone time, as he has time to reflect on issues and calm down.

This can affect Jayden however, as not letting out his emotions and telling someone about them, can lead to him being depressed or stressed. This is very dangerous and can affect Jayden’s emotional ability hugely. Therefore, he needs someone to talk to about his problems. This could be a friend of a family member. Hopefully, by Jayden speaking about his issues, his mother would realise what affect she is having on Jayden’s emotional development.

(Neil Moonie, Et Al, 2006)

Psychological Factors

Jayden is always loved from his parents; however sometimes there is a great difference of love between Jayden and his other siblings. This makes Jayden feel neglected and sometimes unwanted. Because of this, Jayden is always seeking attention to feel wanted and loved. He knows that he is cared for and loved, but sometimes he just feels that he is not as equally as loved as his other two siblings.

This creates a lack of bonding between Jayden and his parents. He does not feel as close to them as he used to, when his siblings were not born. This has also lacked a bonding between Jayden and his brother. Not so much his sister, as he realises she is still a baby and he adores her. However, because he does not like his brother, the jealousy between Jayden and his brother does not help to create a bond. This is also known as sibling rivalry. This is when Jayden feels that he has to compete with his siblings for his parent’s attention. This can have an impact on Jayden’s emotional stability. If he feels a lack of bonding, it could affect him by making him feel insecure all the time. He may also feel that he has no one to turn to when he wants to express his feelings.

Jayden’s biggest fear is losing his parents and siblings. He is afraid that something bad will happen one day, which will cause the people he cares about to leave him, just like his sister. This has affected Jayden a lot as he now has insecurity issues. Jayden cannot express this clearly to his parents however, as he does not feel as close to them as before. He is also afraid to talk about this, as he knows his mother will get upset if he talks about his sister too often. This can have a huge impact on his emotional development, as he will always feel fearful of his family leaving him. He needs to realise that they will not leave him and that it is safe to not be so attached. For Jayden to understand this, he needs to express his feelings with his parents, or else he will always feel this terrible fear.

This can also affect Jayden through regression. When Jayden feels insecure, fearful, unloved and unwanted, he starts to blame himself, which is called regression. This leads him to be clingy with his parents and sometimes refusing to communicate when he is feeling emotionally scared. Jayden must overcome this fear to understand that his parents do love him and that all he needs to do is express his feelings a lot more to them, to solve these matters.

(Neil Moonie, Et Al, 2006)

Behavioural Problems

Jayden has been well taught from his parents about aggressive behaviour being unacceptable. Jayden realises this and has never formed aggressive behaviour. If Jayden is upset or angry, he will result to being quiet and not expressing his feelings. This is not a good thing either, as Jayden must tell his parents what he is feeling for them to understand his needs.

Jayden has always looked for attention from his parents. The most common way he seeks attention is by answering back to his parents. He will not be aggressive towards them; he would just answer them back to get a response out of his parents. For example, Jayden has been told to put the empty wrapper in the bin. He refuses and says “But it’s not mine”. This was formed deliberately to seek attention. He could have easily put the empty wrapper in the bin, but he wanted some attention and therefore fought back.

Sometimes Jayden lies to his parents when he is scared of getting into trouble. Jayden’s parents always encourage Jayden not to lie and explain to him that lying is dishonest, and by doing so, bad things will happen. Jayden understands this but still feels the importance to lie to prevent him from getting in trouble at times. Jayden only lies when he fears punishment. This could be the parents’ fault as they should try and speak to Jayden calmly about what he did wrong, instead of punishing him every time. By making Jayden understand what he did was wrong, it could stop him from making the same mistake twice. However, by Jayden getting punished for his bad actions, he has not learnt anything from it as he is used to being punished. Therefore, he will continue to make the same mistakes.

This will affect Jayden emotionally as he will always be confused and punished for his bad actions. If the parent were to make Jayden understand, he would feel less confused, enabling him to stop that bad action. Evidently, developing Jayden’s emotional skills to feel happy and less confused. He will also feel that he can develop his social skills more from speaking to his parents about his bad actions.

(Neil Moonie, Et Al, 2006)

I have created a table for each developmental milestone, comparing the norms to Jayden’s actual age of reaching the milestones. I also commented on the differences between Jayden’s developments to the actual milestones. There are five different tables created, which is shown in AO1.

Child Development