Amstelle (not her real name) is a three-year-old girl chosen for an hour for the observation and has provided keen details regarding child development. Permission was granted by her parents, wherein upon initial meeting, I explained that as part of my class assignment as a Lifespan Development student, the child will be observed and that the information gathered will be confidential and that her name would not be included in the report. In this assignment, I have observed the child in the position of an expert, wherein her physical, cognitive, social and emotional traits, as well as cultural influences, were assessed based on the lessons acquired from the class.
Amstelle is an only child and both her parents have to work during weekdays. They live in a condominium, and a nanny takes care of her whenever her parents are at work on the weekdays. On weekends, both parents take turns in taking care of the child since they do not have work. During this time, they would often go to a park or join a social gathering such as a barbeque or a stroll in the nearby beach with other families as their form of recreation. The observation took place on one Sunday afternoon, wherein the family joined a barbeque cookout with the parents’ friends, and I was given permission to join and observe the child.
Amstelle shows signs of proper physical development based on her age. It is estimated that her height is 3 feet and 3 inches, and weighs about 35 pounds. Her gross motor skills such as walking, running, skipping, as well as moving her arms to signify something such as pointing or gesticulating are also appropriate according to what she wants to do. Moreover, it is observed that she has good motor skills as she can walk without the help of others, and can run without slipping. On the other hand, it is also observed that she has proper motor skills such as hand-eye coordination, and she can properly use her hands and fingers to pick up things she wants to get. I also observed that she can confidently ride a bicycle with training wheels properly, and can manipulate the bicycle in locations she wants to go. She also knows how to use the brakes properly (e.g., at what point and when), and this puts her reflexes into good development. She was also observed to be able to throw and catch the ball similar to the other kids who were playing with her.
For her cognitive development, it is assessed that Amstelle is developing into a curious and very intelligent child. She has great command of language and can use it according to what she wants to do and what she wants to have. She also knows how to properly use the words to explain herself, especially to her parents. At her age, this is quite an interesting observation as, despite the elementary vocabulary, Amstelle is able to command her language use to her desired activity or outcome, and thus justifies that she knows how to make decisions based on what she wants. Language use is also incorporated in her pretend plays, which is a sign of imagination and creativity. Her forms of plays are relevant to her interests, such as dolls for instance, and this also affects her judgment on choosing friends she would play with.
Upon observation, it is also evident that Amstelle is growing into a good-natured child. She has a positive persona, and this is observed through her being able to get along well with other children during the time of observation. She is also well-liked by the adults, mainly because she smiles a lot and is not very shy around strangers. Although she has bouts of crankiness and tantrums whenever she is sleepy or tired according to her mother, Amstelle normally has pleasant emotions. This indicates that her psychosocial development is normal, and that her environment gives her the ability to develop trust among her peers and those around her. It is also important to take note that at her age, the development of trust among peers provide a link that can integrate her social relations and interactions with others – especially among adults who can give her support, and for her peers to have a sense of belongingness and connection with her age group.
Her social interactions are quite well, and she knows how to trust not only her friends but also the adults around her. She uses language and gestures to convey what she wants and what she does not like. She has autonomy for her actions, and her temperament is pleasant and sometimes predictable. Because of this, it is observed that she has a full self-concept – that she is able to do things with the support of others. This could be assessed as a part of her cultural influences, as it is observed that her parents are also well-liked by their community and peers. The parents also conveyed that they practice discipline through compassionate means, such as explaining to Amstelle why an action is wrong and what its consequences are before punishing the child for doing something that is bad or wrong. Amstelle also understands that she is a girl and that a girl is different from a boy, but this is more observed on the games she plays and how she interacts with other children particularly in physical sports, such as running or riding a bicycle. This shows that Amstelle’s psychosocial stage is apparent to delve more into autonomy, as she becomes more independent and discovering that she can do some activities which do not require the assistance of her parents or her nanny.
In conclusion, it is assessed that Amstelle’s physical, social and emotional development are progressing according to her age. Aside from these milestones, she also showed signs of her ability to do things by herself. She is starting to have a sense of independence from simple tasks such as choosing things, foods, and activities she likes without the assistance from adults. She also becomes more mobile and uses her motor skills properly. Her way of communicating and interacting with others is quite normal for her age, but her command of language is esteemed as advanced. The observation shows that as a normally developing child, Amstelle is on her way to achieving a wider self-concept and deeper self-esteem based on how her parents use discipline and parenting practices effectively.
