The social world of babies and toddlers. Education Essay

THE SOCIAL WORLD OF BABIES AND TODDLERS
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The Social World of Babies and Toddlers
Behavioral adaptations of children below the age of three are affected by several factors. In this study, it is essential to understand these changes and their process of learning. The question, ‘Can babies and children under three make friends, participate in groups, play, think and discover?’ can be broken down into their sociality and thoughts. Different researchers share contrasting ideas on the relationships and thoughts of babies and children under three. However, most of them share a few concepts of socialism of babies and toddlers. For instance, the ability of children to socialize is explained by some as inborn skill, while other researchers explain factors that facilitate this skill. However, most writers could agree that children share a particular culture, and they need to understand each other to relate. It is also essential to note that learning occurs in both parents and children, and this plays a role in the way they think and socialize. In this research, we also focus on the question, ‘Do we know anything about what babies themselves think, and how do researchers have tried to observe babies and under-threes?. Learning how babies and toddlers think entails observing them over time and making judgments on their communication. Researchers have established their analysis of babies' thoughts and the techniques of observing the babies and under-threes. These researchers have been able to establish their judgments on how babies think. These observers collected data from different sample groups of babies and under-threes through observation. Observers used the methods of isolation and control experiments to observe the differences in babies and toddlers. In this research, we borrow ideas from researchers such as Trevarthen, Charles Darwin’s, Friedrich Froebel, Donald Winnicott, James, and Joyce Robertson to understand where knowledge of babies originates. Ideas on the origin of this knowledge revolve around instincts and learning. However, it is challenging to come up with a conclusion on the specific factors that influence the thinking and behaviors of babies and toddlers. As researchers direct more focus on the general understanding of the cause of behavioral changes among this group of a population, they have overlooked vital factors. Factors such as environment, health, and genetics should be researched more concerning the behaviors of babies and toddlers. The main challenge of this research could be selecting the sample group to research on. Scientifically it is proven that genetics define intricate behavioral differences between people through inheritance of traits. Furthermore, the environment could also determine how babies and toddlers react to stimuli. Babies born with extreme conditions and syndromes could fail to behave as expected, and their brain development could be slower. These factors, among others, are vital considerations that should be included when recording behavioral observations. Without consideration of these factors in the research, these findings could be regarded as mere opinions. Therefore, more priority should be given in drawing a correlation between the responses obtained from observing the babies and these factors.
Referring to observations made by researchers helps to determine whether children below the age of three can develop friendships, interact, and innovate. Tobin J.J explains in ‘The poetics and pleasures of video ethnography of education’ that culture influences children's behaviors (Tobin and Hsueh, 2007, p.81). The observer draws his conclusion after selecting a sample of children from group-oriented societies and recording how they respond. Tobin compares his observations with those of American culture and suggests that the behaviors of babies and toddlers depend on their cultural setups. The observer shares the idea that babies socialize at different levels, and the more extroverted children play and interact more due to the attention they get. Trevathen shares the same concept of cultural influences on the behaviors of babies and toddlers. The researcher’s concept is based on communication and how children develop creativity by interacting with each other. Trevathen describes culture as a more confined group sharing the same knowledge and ideas that influence their interactions with one another. The observer uses an illustration of children in middle school to emphasize that culture exists in small sub-groups (Trevarthen, 1995, p.243). Trevathen also focuses more on distinguishing the traditional definition of culture and his definition, which helps to establish behaviors within small groups. The observer suggests that children need to learn a particular culture to interact and socialize effectively. These cultures are developed from language and interpretation and are essential in a child’s development. However, Trevathen suggests that the will to learn in children naturally occurs within them. Children learn in a cultural environment by observing facial expressions and listening to tone, language, and music. Infants develop a keen interest in imitating gestures and facial expressions from either parents or fellow children. Ideally, the observer could emphasize culture as an unchanging way of life, and the consistency of being around familiar people increases the child's mental development rate. Daniel stern agrees with Trevathen on the innate strength of children to develop the interest of learning. The author focuses his research on communication and concludes the relationship within oneself. Daniel stern establishes that children use sound, vision, and sensation to create an interactive environment. He applies psychoanalysis studies to explain how human beings develop a sense of sensation in relating to others. Stern suggests that infants develop distinctive habits from the time of birth and develop these traits into complex behaviors. The author addresses issues of attachment, dependency, and trust. Stern analyzes these factors to establish their importance in infancy development. Daniel stern’s book explains the nature of a child’s development based on psychological studies and evaluation. The author’s ideas contribute mostly to the understanding of the development process in a child. These concepts also focus on the importance of communication during this period. Stern emphasizes that children need attention and communication to learn. Infants should be allowed to interact since their bodies and minds naturally demand this environment. Miller also agrees that the ability of a child to think is a collective process. The author establishes his arguments based on the fact that children only learn when they are ready (Miller, 1999, p.8). Therefore, Miller also supports the idea that interest to learn is innate and occurs naturally in babies. Most researchers base their arguments on the importance of communication and interaction. However, a child's ability to think is also connected to a child's natural capacity to think.
However, through observation, some researchers have developed ideas that differ. On the other hand, Miller upholds the value of the thinking process in a child’s development. Unlike Daniel stern and Trevathen, Miller argues that a child has to interact with a reliable adult for their thoughts to develop. Daniel stern and Trevathen focus more on both interactions between parents and age groups. However, it emphasizes that the child’s ability to develop entirely depends on the availability of an adult to facilitate the development process. Miller argues that a child’s ability to communicate is evidence of the existence of thoughts and memory. The author, according to his book, ‘Becoming a person in the family,’ draws inferences on development. He establishes a relationship between the development of a child and life experiences. Miller believes that genetics and experience are the only factors that affect a child’s mental development. Not all the characteristics acquired by a child may be inherited, and hence the author explains how parental involvement plays a significant role. Furthermore, Miller argues that a child's information processing and memory rely on a series of interpersonal relationships. The author brings about the concept of building a child’s self-esteem and the essence of this factor. In contrast, Miller believes that interpersonal capabilities can be achieved by the interaction between a child and an adult. Trevathen disagrees that there should be a constant environment, which he refers to as culture. An environment created based on culture helps children to relate with familiar people. Trevathen believes that if children interact with each other, then the mental development process is increased since they are triggered to learn and adopt new skills. Children have distinct ways of communication, and adults are responsible for the development of the child’s interactive skills. Adults should develop an environment that will allow babies and children under three to communicate and interact. These conditions offered by the adults act as the stimuli towards enabling children to develop interactions and communications. To understand how the mind works, Vasudevi Reddy focuses on studying human development concerning the mind (Reddy, 2008, p.189). She involves emotions in explaining personal relations, unlike Trevathen and Murray, that agree on experiences and environment as the primary factors affecting a child’s development. Reddy focuses on understanding when and how children acquire knowledge. She studies the behaviors of children and pets and draws conclusions based on psychological interpretations. The author believes that emotions observed in children are critical in understanding their minds. She argues that children are aware of psychology and mental processes, and this is evident since they can express themselves without learning to speak. Reddy shows interest in understanding how senses serve a role in communication between children and adults. Graham establishes that friendships in toddlers is different and suggests that their friendships are based on attachment, and an innate need to relate. Babies have many ways of communicating among themselves, and they need the right environment to develop these skills.
However, these researchers mainly base their inferences on emotions, culture, and psychology, which is insufficient to make claims. Their research faces the risk of leaving out vital consider...