Childhood and adolescence are the two stages of life that involve the largest gains in physical and psychosocial development. Childhood generally covers the first 10 years of life, while adolescence usually ranges from about 11 to 19 years of age. Physical and psychosocial development do not always coincide with each other, but most often will balance out by the end of adolescence. Scales, timelines and objective milestones can be used as a reference for parents to monitor their child's growth, but patience and flexibility will allow a child to grow and blossom without added pressure.
Child Physical Development
Infancy to preteen is a fast-paced time for a child's physical development. Infants and toddlers learn to crawl, walk and run. Eyesight becomes more developed, along with eye-hand coordination for more complicated mechanical activities like dance, sports and activity games. The immune system further develops during these years and exposure to second-hand smoke and environmental toxins can have a lifelong effect on the child's health. Parents can gage their child's rate of physical development with pediatric checkups and visits with the school nurse. Teachers spend a lot of time with children of the same age cohort and can consult parents when a deviation in physical development is noticed. The 2006 World Health Organization's report on child growth standards states that the rate of physical development can vary significantly on regional nutrition standards, race, exposure to environmental toxins and access to healthy physical activity. By the age of 10, boys and girls average 51 inches and weigh around 70 pounds.
Child Psychosocial Development
The intellectual, emotional and social development of a child is a fast-changing time of exploration and independence. From infancy through 10 years of age, children acquire a vast vocabulary and learn complex emotions like empathy, fear, joy and grief. Children also develop the lifelong skill of delayed gratification, which is a major indicator of advanced cognitive development. Children also learn problem solving skills, team dynamics, hierarchy, listening skills and context appropriate activities. The Child Development Institute states that as children get older, their need for more friends and group activities will grow. This is the time when parents allow the child to establish some autonomy, while still monitoring for inappropriate language and activities.
Adolescent Physical Development
Adolescent physical development is commonly known as puberty, during which the body becomes capable of reproducing. According to Dr. Lawrence Neinstein at the University of Southern California, boys start puberty at around 9 to 13 years old, while girls often start earlier at around 8 to 11. Puberty has come much earlier compared to previous decades due to improved nutrition, childhood obesity and exposure to environmental hormones that trigger bodily changes. Puberty involves the growth of pubic hair, female breast development and menstruation, genital growth, changes in body odor, acne and voice change. Adolescents grow an average of 28 cm during puberty and gain about 50 percent of the ideal adult body weight.
Adolescent Psychosocial Development
Adolescents experience a whole new array of psychosocial development during their teen years. The role of independence and group membership become key priorities to most teens. Hormones, love interests and intellectual pursuits further complicate adolescent development. Stress, anxiety, lack of sleep and depression are common among teens, and parents should be available to provide information and resources during these times. Teens are often confused and worried about the physical changes during puberty, and this can have a significant and lasting effect on a person's psychosocial health. MentalHelp.net, an online mental health resource, states that adolescents' brains are still developing, and this plays a role in immature emotional and cognitive development. Teens are still mastering problem solving skills, role dynamics, responsibility and time management.
References
- World Health Organization: Child Growth Standards
- Child Development Institute: Helping Your Child With Socialization
- University of Southern California: Puberty-Normal Growth and Development
- MentalHelp.net: Mental/Emotional/Social Changes through Puberty
- Child Development Institute: Stages of Social-Emotional Development in Children and Teenagers
