Social and Esteem Needs: Education and Friendship
Middle childhood should be a time of life in which
physiological and safety/security needs are fully met by caregivers, thereby
giving 6-12 year olds the opportunity to move forward and seek to fulfill
social and esteem needs. Erickson identified the psychosocial crisis of this
time period as Industry v.s. Inferiority. In his mind, middle children’s main
focus should be school and learning. This is the age when children begin to
develop skills and knowledge that boost their self-confidence and sense of
self. For most middle-class children, these years are full of structured
activities that begin to shape their identity. Many parents enroll children of
this age in music, art, or dance lessons or sign them up for a sports team.
These activities can be most beneficial to children as they help them build a
social network and allow them to develop skills that will carry over into their
adolescence and even adulthood.
Middle childhood is marked by increasingly deep friendships. For this reason, children of this age group are more likely to behave in a prosocial manner than younger children, meaning they are good at sharing, showing compassion, and helping one another. Middle children are not yet overtaken by their image in the eyes of their peers as are many adolescents, but they do want to be liked and respected. They begin to seek out friends who’s interests, ideas, and background are similar to their own.
For many children age 6-12 around the world however, basic needs like food, water, and shelter are tenuous. When these needs are not met, it is much more difficult to move forward and attempt to meet other needs. Malnourished children score consistently lower on aptitude tests and may never be able to catch up to their luckier peers (University of Southern California, 2004). In some countries, children of this age are already working full time or even, tragically, child brides. Many American children treat school as chore, not an opportunity, but children like Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani who survived a gunshot wound to the head for standing up for the rights of girl children to go to school, know just how valuable it is. "There are many problems, but I think there is a solution to all these problems, it's just one and it's education. You educate all the girls and boys. You give them the opportunity to learn,” said Yousafzai in an interview on The Current radio show (“In Her Words,” 2013).
Even in the U.S., children of struggling parents may not be taken to school consistently or provided with homework help, let alone enrolled in extracurricular activities. Oftentimes in the poorest neighborhoods, street violence makes even walking to school a dangerous activity. Poor children may not receive the homework help they need or have the opportunity to make friends through positive activities. In these circumstances, some children may seek a sense of security and identity elsewhere, such as through a gang.
Like all of the developmental stages, middle childhood contains both critical and sensitive periods. If certain needs such as physiological, safety, security and social needs are not being met, middle children may experience stunted development. As parents, siblings, or simply concerned citizens, it is our responsibility to do the best we can to help middle children meet their needs so that they can continue to grown and thrive.
References
In her words: 6 quotes from the Malala Yousafzai interview. (2013, Oct 9) CBC Radio's the current. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/episode/2013/10/09/in-her-words-6-quotes-from-the-malala-yousafzai-interview/
University Of Southern California (2004, November 19). Malnutrition In Early Years Leads To Low IQ And Later Antisocial Behavior, USC Study Finds. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/11/041117005027.htm
Middle childhood is marked by increasingly deep friendships. For this reason, children of this age group are more likely to behave in a prosocial manner than younger children, meaning they are good at sharing, showing compassion, and helping one another. Middle children are not yet overtaken by their image in the eyes of their peers as are many adolescents, but they do want to be liked and respected. They begin to seek out friends who’s interests, ideas, and background are similar to their own.
For many children age 6-12 around the world however, basic needs like food, water, and shelter are tenuous. When these needs are not met, it is much more difficult to move forward and attempt to meet other needs. Malnourished children score consistently lower on aptitude tests and may never be able to catch up to their luckier peers (University of Southern California, 2004). In some countries, children of this age are already working full time or even, tragically, child brides. Many American children treat school as chore, not an opportunity, but children like Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani who survived a gunshot wound to the head for standing up for the rights of girl children to go to school, know just how valuable it is. "There are many problems, but I think there is a solution to all these problems, it's just one and it's education. You educate all the girls and boys. You give them the opportunity to learn,” said Yousafzai in an interview on The Current radio show (“In Her Words,” 2013).
Even in the U.S., children of struggling parents may not be taken to school consistently or provided with homework help, let alone enrolled in extracurricular activities. Oftentimes in the poorest neighborhoods, street violence makes even walking to school a dangerous activity. Poor children may not receive the homework help they need or have the opportunity to make friends through positive activities. In these circumstances, some children may seek a sense of security and identity elsewhere, such as through a gang.
Like all of the developmental stages, middle childhood contains both critical and sensitive periods. If certain needs such as physiological, safety, security and social needs are not being met, middle children may experience stunted development. As parents, siblings, or simply concerned citizens, it is our responsibility to do the best we can to help middle children meet their needs so that they can continue to grown and thrive.
References
In her words: 6 quotes from the Malala Yousafzai interview. (2013, Oct 9) CBC Radio's the current. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/episode/2013/10/09/in-her-words-6-quotes-from-the-malala-yousafzai-interview/
University Of Southern California (2004, November 19). Malnutrition In Early Years Leads To Low IQ And Later Antisocial Behavior, USC Study Finds. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/11/041117005027.htm