The 6 stages of childhood (and their main characteristics)

From the moment we are born, we are working to become a more complete person, developing day by day.

Every human being, from the time he is a small baby, tries to learn and adapt as best as possible to the world around him., to interact with the people around him and to find his own place in this vast space. Of course, he does all of this intuitively at first, but then he is helped by the stimulation he receives from his parents and the education that is provided by his caregivers.

Many things happen during this stage of human life in incredible and even surprising ways, since they have a significant and often irreversible impact on children. That is why it is considered one of the most important in the development of people and for which we must have great respect, admiration and preserve their care.

Just taking all of this into account, in this article we will talk about the stages that comprise childhood and the main characteristics of each one.

What is childhood?

But before getting into the subject, let's first define this period of life. Infancy is defined as the process of development of the baby from 0 year of life to 12 years when the stage of puberty begins.

This phase is made up of a complex learning and stimulation procedure., in which the child adapts to the world around him.

Starting with learning their own abilities (motor, cognitive, emotional and psychological) to the ability to express these skills in the environment where it operates (communication, interaction, sociability, problem solving basic).

The first and second childhood

There are theorists who thus define the stages of childhood, included in: early childhood (0-6 years of age) and second childhood (6-12 years of age) in which multiple changes occur in the physiological, emotional, linguistic, psychological and emotional spheres of the child, depending on her own stage of development.

To later settle on the acquisition of greater skills, such as autonomy, independence, concept of own identity, capacity for socialization and expression.

1. Early childhood

As we already mentioned, this is characterized by occurring during the 0 to 6 years of age of the life of children. However, in turn, it is divided into two phases, which are understood from 0 to 3 years and 3 to 6 years of age.

1.1. Early childhood, initial phase

During the first phase, the child begins to acquire the massive information that comes from the environment. Forms his first emotional ties with his parents, especially with the mother from the symbiotic bond. Its development depends entirely on the stimulation received from play and pampering.

They have a very egocentric perception of themselves, that is, they do not take others into consideration. His language is very basic, starting with using a telegraphic method, he enjoys satisfying his curiosity when exploring everything in his power and leans more towards solo play, as he doesn't like to share his things with others.

1.2. Early childhood, second phase

Upon reaching this phase, between 3-6 years, the child has several radical changes. For example, he begins to acquire the skills of theory of mind. That is, he is able to use his imagination and his intellect to understand that other people can think, feel and have other beliefs, as well as themselves. So they begin to leave their egocentric side a bit and are inclined to interact with their peers through the game.

They also begin to have a better handling and fluency of language and communicative expressions, the properties and characteristics of the objects around them. Differentiate the characteristics of people, acquires a sense of autonomy and better control of their motor skills, including the ability to control sphincters.

2. Second childhood

The last phase of childhood, which includes 6-12 years of age where the end of childhood and the beginning of adolescence are marked.

During this stage, children acquire abstract thinking and concrete operations, which give them the skills to organize their ideas, use their reasoning to solve problems, and discriminate correct acts from incorrect. They also have the ability to understand emotions, handle and express them through better management of oral and written communication.

In turn, they gain greater control over their fine and gross motor skills, so their mobility has increased and they can experience more challenging and complex activities. On the other hand, they acquire a feeling of value about friendship and go in search of new partners to share.

Stages of childhood and their main characteristics

On the other hand, there are theorists who define in a more detailed way the stages of childhood, which you will know below.

1. Intrauterine period

It is understood from the moment of conception to the delivery of the mother, that is, around 40 weeks. Therefore, the early fetal period (when babies are born prematurely or prematurely) and the late fetal period (those born a few weeks after the due date) are included.

During this stage they focus on the process of formation of the fetus and the full development of the baby's senses. Which can be stimulated by the mother, the father and those around him through sound and that, in the future, will be part of the autobiographical memory.

For what the baby can learn, from the womb, of the world that will soon surround him through the sensory experiences that her mother gives them.

2. Neonatal period

This is the shortest stage of child development since it is understood from birth to 28 days or the entire month of birth. But they represent the most important weeks of the baby's adaptation to the world.

During this the baby begins to communicate with human beings through babbling sounds and crying to express her needs, which cannot be resolved by themselves. In turn, the first motor stimulations should be initiated, such as the gait instinct, kicking and the sucking instinct to feed.

Finally, you can see the growth of the rest of her body except for her head, she gains more weight and muscular strength. A curious fact is that it is believed that at this stage and up to a few more months, babies are capable of discriminating between different languages.

3. Lactation period

Also known as the post-neonatal period, it is also one of the shortest stages of childhood, since they range from the month of birth to the first year of life. In these, the changes are more evident to the eye, such as the muscular growth of children, the definition of the facial features and the samples of their own behavior.

They begin to gain a better understanding of the world around them through her maternal bond, how the mother responds to her demands, and the way the father is involved in her development. Breastfeeding at this stage is considered essential, not only as the first form of feeding, but also as a channel of affective communication.

4. Early childhood period

We have already briefly described what this period of childhood deals with, however, it is only understood by the stage of 0 to 3 years of age. In which children improve their language, although it is not yet understandable, they begin to describe things around them, although not individually but rather generalized.

Egocentricity, as previously discussed, is at the center of children's thinking, as they are unable to understand the beliefs of others. Likewise, curiosity is essential during this stage as it allows them to explore and become familiar with their environment. Becoming their first form of learning, just as the psychologist and child development expert indicates, Jean piaget.

5. Preschool period

This stage would include what we previously described as the second phase of early childhood. Where children begin to use the skills of Theory of Mind and which helps them generate relationships with their peers, as well as interaction with others, while leaving behind their tendencies egocentric.

The brain's myelination process is generated, which is the basis for the development of abstract thinking, which includes the ability to solve problems, discrimination of correct acts, following of norms and values, improvement of communication and greater performance in more complex tasks according to their stage of growth.

6. School period

It includes the last stage of childhood, it goes from 6-12 years of age (so it could be denominate as second childhood) and which, as we mentioned, marks the end of childhood to give step to adolescence.

In this, children are able to understand more complex and abstract concepts of the world, greater linguistic meanings, better use their oral and written communication skills, understanding and analysis, control of fine and gross movements, reasoning and acting skills, as well as managing one's own emotions and understanding the emotions of others.

This is because there is already a greater communication of the brain completely, which helps them maintain a more dominance accurate of their emotions in different environments, analyze situations, focus attention and make decisions corresponding to these.

One of the big changes is that children begin to have a more defined image about themselves. By creating their concept of their own identity, they gain confidence in the learning they have learned and the use of their new knowledge to increase your self esteem.

However, they can also be vulnerable to negative behaviors, addictions, and altered perceptions of the world. Especially if they are not in a supportive environment or if your family does not show much interest in them. Those who are inclined to fill their void with not very positive experiences, which will affect their future emotional and psychological development during youth and adulthood.

Finally, it should be clarified that not all children have a similar temporal development. Some seem to have early mastery of their qualities, while others may take more time and stimulation work to achieve.

But that is why childhood is one of the most significant stages of the human being, as it is the basis for reaching its full development.