Reflection HD 300

Reflection
HD 300
Early Childhood Themes and Life Cycle Issues
Maura Maldonado
Pacific Oaks College

REFLECTION HD 300

HD 300 Early Childhood Themes and Life Cycle Issues

As I sat in class on the first meeting of Early Childhood Themes and Life Cycle Issues, I
felt like was sitting through one of the first core courses I took when I began my early childhood
journey. What I quickly realized was the exposure I had to the growth and development of a
child only skimmed the surface of infancy to adulthood. Re-examining Erik Eriksons
psychosocial stages of development, to the in-depth study of life cycles from infancy to
adulthood, helped me to make sense of what humans go through as they develop. Understanding
specific issues through the lens of psychosocial development gave me a clearer understanding of
my own past and present experiences. My learning became personally relevant as we delved into
the middle or school-age years six to twelve years old. I have a twelve year old son and I was
enlightened and gained insight and understanding to what he was going through
developmentally. I gained additional insight to adolescent development through the final
research paper I wrote for this class. The biological process, the social and personal experiences,
and emotions that I refer to in this paper are all relevant aspects of this stage of development.
Eriksons stage of Industry vs. Inferiority, focusing on the school age child and their relationship
between school, teachers, friends, and neighborhood, helped me with this understanding.
Eriksons next stage of Identity vs. Role Confusion, dealing with adolescence and the
relationships between peers and group influences, helped me to understand my son on a deeper

REFLECTION HD 300

level. The ability to connect personal issues to what I was learning in class created a meaningful
learning experience.
The deeper understanding of the adolescent that I gained through this class helped me as
a parent. Understanding the importance of peers at this stage of development explained a great
deal why as a mother I began to feel like all that mattered to my son were his friends and the
telephone. His relationships were changing, the center of his relationships are no longer mom
and dad. Playing with toys and one specific friend has turned into more private conversations
with a small group of more intimate friends. I have learned that the focus of relationships and
peer influences are what matter. Mood swings, seeking acceptance and finding where they
belong, is an emotional journey. Being an effective communicator with my son can be difficult.
Clear and open communication between adults and the adolescent is important. This is a time
where confusion and emotions dictate their actions. A technique suggested in class was to
change the way I say things. Instead of asking something five times in the same manner and
receiving the same I will five different times, I changed my approach. I dont command the
same thing over and over. I talk to him and ask if he could please do whatever I need within a
specific time frame. This makes him aware of what I expect and I dont nag or become angry.
Conversing instead of commanding has been working, for right now.
Through class discussions, I feel I contributed by sharing my personal journey with my
adolescent son. My experience with this age group is limited, and the suggestions from my
classmates encouraged me to examine myself as a parent. Am I a parent on a power trip? Or do I
really want to communicate with my son? What I do know is that during this stage of
development my sons experiences and relationships have an effect on his success in further
stages of development. Understanding where he is coming from has made it clear to me the

REFLECTION HD 300

importance of being his parents. Often the outward attitude of the adolescent is that they dont
need you, but they do. They need the support, love and consistency that they get from home and
parents, especially through this confusing stage of development. I also feel I contributed in this
class by sharing my knowledge of infants and preschoolers. I have worked in the field for thirtyfive years and have had the opportunity to gather a wealth of knowledge from many inspiring
and qualified early childhood educators. Knowledge gained through personal teaching
experiences, observation and documentation, and reflection support my efforts in collaboration
and developing relationships with parents and fellow teachers. Sharing what we learn benefits
all who are involved in providing learning experiences which affect a childs development.