Childhood, adolescence, adulthood are all developmental stages with their own special challenges and rewards. Within these stages, there are smaller stages, such as childhood, and even shorter sub-stages. Childhood covers the time from birth to the onset of puberty. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that puberty occurs--on average--at 12 years old. From birth to puberty, children pass through the developmental stages of early, middle and late childhood.
Early Childhood
Early childhood has a concrete beginning--birth--but a somewhat arbitrary end date of about 6 years old. Infancy and toddlerhood form the first two sub-stages in early childhood. Covering from birth until a child begins walking, this occurs at about 12 months, notes the CDC. During infancy, babies grow and develop quickly. Medline Plus, an informational service of the National Institutes of Health and the National Library of Medicine, explains that a baby's weight doubles in her first four to six months. From ages 1 to 5, the weight gain slows to about 5 lbs. a year, on average. Toddlerhood covers from walking until 4 years old, while the remaining two years of early childhood are not specifically labeled.
Middle Childhood
Middle childhood lasts from age 6 to age 8. During this developmental stage, children continue to develop in terms of both growth and maturation. The CDC reports that this is also the age at which children begin to head off to school and become more independent. Key mental and cognitive developments during this time period include accelerated mental skills development and an increased ability to talk about experiences, thought and feelings. Children's emotional development during this stage also includes an increased focus on friends and being accepted in a peer group.
Late Childhood
The developmental line between middle and late childhood is not clear, but its end is. Once a child begins puberty, he begins the next major developmental stage, adolescence. During late childhood, a child's friends and social group become increasingly important. Increased peer pressure is also likely, reports the CDC. With the approach of puberty, children in late childhood also show an increased awareness of body image. Spending time with your child and discussing his friendships and how to handle social pressure is one of the keys to successful parenting during this developmental stage.
