Sexual Development
Philip being interested in the opposite sex is a normal thing that happens in most boys as they grow up. It’s a physical and mental part of growing up. The main explanation for this is hormones. Philip is showing that he is comfortable with his own body and sexual feelings.
Philip may need to be educated about sex as his parents may be worried by the fact of him having sex and not being careful. All the parents can do is talk to Philip about this, as they cannot force him to practise safe sex.
Social Development
His parents seem to be bothered by his friends, the fact that they are older and might be into drugs and crime, they may also be wondering why an older person would be interested in being friends with a 15 year-old boy. His parents have a right to think this because as adolescents pull away from parents in a search for their own identity, the peer group takes on a special significance. It may become a "safe" haven, in which the adolescent can test new ideas and compare his own physical and psychological growth and experimenting in drugs maybe one of the tests he would like to experience. Maybe if his parents met his friends their minds would be more at ease and they would be more compromising when it comes to staying out late. Philip also has to regard the fact that he is underage and shouldn’t be going to nightclubs at his age even if his friends are; they are older and more responsible for themselves.
However, in this case, significant conflict has arisen over his acts or gestures of rebellion and the parents needs to maintain control. Philip has to understand that
his parents are just like every other parents and that he is at a vulnerable stage in his life.
Intellectual Development
It is very important that his parents encourage Philip with his schoolwork as at this age it is vital for his GCSE’s.
Emotional Development
The adolescent’s quest for independence is normal development and need not be looked upon by the parent as rejection or a loss of control.
As for his argumentative mood is also another part of him growing up. He believes that he isn’t a little boy anymore but he also isn’t a man. He has a lot of growing up to do and experiences he has to go through. At the moment Philip has no responsibilities maybe if his parents gave him some then it may keep him preoccupied and feel more important and independent.
Charlotte was born four days ago and is now at home with her mother. Her mother’s first choice for feeding the baby was by breast, but after forty-eight hours, she made a decision to artificially feed the baby. She is pleased to change to artificially feed the baby, because she feels very tired and her mother, who is staying for two weeks, intends to feed the baby. However, Charlotte did not take to the change in feeding very well and cried when the teat went into the mouth and had a tendency to vomit on few occasions. Charlottes, mother was the only person that could calm her down, much to the grandmother’s disappointment, as she felt that she was a very experienced mother.
Nature and Nurture
Nature is what is natural. Something that is biological (in the genes) and cannot be changed. Nurture is not biological but may be environmental.
Charlotte
As a newborn, Charlotte was natured by her mother by being breastfed. Now Her mother is becoming tired Charlotte is now nurtured by being bottle-fed. There can be many reasons for Charlotte not taking to the fact of being bottle-fed
Breastfeeding is one of the best forms of feeding a baby because
- It contains nutrients
- Bonding between mother and baby
Breast milk contains just the right amount of fatty acids, lactose, water, and amino acids for human digestion, brain development, and growth.
Whereas cows milk babies will have difficulty digesting.
Sucking at the breast promotes good jaw development as well and strengthens the jaw. Charlotte will also familiarise herself with the smell and feel of her mothers skin.
As Charlotte was natured by being breast-fed she has grown to get used to it.
The bond that is made during breastfeeding is very special between mother and child, as the mother has to hold and comfort the baby tightly as it is feeding and can reassure the child of love.
A man named John Bowlby studied the bond between children and mothers and he claimed that if the bond between mother and child were broken (breastfeeding) then there may be a chance of the child growing up being unable to love or show affection. This was known as maternal deprivation.
(Bowlby 1953)
Charlotte may be making herself sick, as she may prefer the taste of breast milk to milk powder.
Charlotte’s mother may also be in pain during breastfeeding as women’s nipples can crack and become sore
Charlotte’s brother James is eighteen months old and his vocabulary is increasing at fast rate. He attends a playgroup once a week and has made many friends. He is showing independence through his daily activities and although he is very bonded with both his parents, he happily stays overnight at his grandparent’s home. James also enjoys playing games with his cousin, who is four years old and often mimics his attitude and performances.
James
James should have a vocabulary of 5-20 words. Many of these words will be nouns, as they start to associate objects and words but these can mean more than one thing, like “dad” and “car” meaning dad likes cars, dad is in the car or dad goes to work in the car etc.
Some echolalia (repeating a word or phrase over and over) may occur as he is learning to pronounce the words. During this stage he should be praised for his development and this will encourage him to talk and learn.
He will also start to understand short commands that you will give him.
Children learn to talk by
- Other people talking to them
- Listening
- Practising making signs
- Copying sounds made by other people
- Learning what the sounds mean
(Lecturer notes 2002)
Reasons for slowness in learning to talk
- Inherited pattern of development
- Concentrated first on other aspects of development
- Not enough individual attention from adults
- Lack of encouragement
- Deafness
- Disability
(Lecturer notes 2002)
James’s vocabulary is increasing at a normal rate. Not all children are alike and some may seem slow when it comes to learning to talk and others may learn faster.
The playgroup that he attends will help him influence his speech greatly as he will be interacting with other children. Children tend to learn things easier from children their own age as they try to copy what the other child is doing.
Conclusion
I have established that adolescence is a major physical change in life and that it doesn’t only affect the subject but others around him too. Nature is sometimes healthier then nurture as its more natural. I have also learnt of the relationship of a stimulus and response. Finally that during infancy others can be important as learning is a major process in this stage of life.
