Lesson 7: Infants and Toddlers

A person’s a person no matter how small. ~ Dr. Seuss

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:

• Describe how interactions and communication guide the day when working with an infant or toddler
• Reflect on the various roles of a caregiver in an infant/toddler setting
• Compare a day of working with an infant to a day working with a toddler
• Discuss the joy and/or challenges of supporting infants and toddlers

Teaching

• Read Chapter 2 (pgs. 13-27) in The Early Years Matter
• Read Chapters 2 & 3 (pgs 53-107) in Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs

Erikson – Trust vs. Mistrust and Autonomy vs.Shame/Doubt - when a child feels supported by responsive caregivers, the child will develop feelings of trust and independence (autonomy) during the first three years. Caregivers provide suitable guidance and appropriate choices. 

Piaget –Sensory motor period - infants depend on their senses and movement. As infants gain experience through reflexes they begin to have some control. From four to eight months babies realize they can make things happen (dropping a toy over and over). By eight to twelve months they begin to understand object permanence. At twelve to eighteen months they begin to experiment by trying to manipulate objects by using them in new ways. Eighteen to twenty-four months children begin to have agendas (knowing what they want to do) and understand mental representations. 
The preoperational stage ranges from age 2-7 and involves symbolic representation. Children use symbols to represent things. They are also limited in their perceptions and do not yet understand conservation (the understanding that although things change shape or form, they are the same. If an adult measures a cup of water and puts it in a short cup then if they measure a cup of water and put it in a tall thin cup, the child might perceive the tall cup has more because the water looks higher).

Piaget notes retrieved from Essa, E.L. 2007. Introduction to Early Childhood Education. Delmar, N.Y.

Maslow Hierarchy of Needs – based on motivation to have needs met across the lifespan. Basic needs (the red and orange) must be achieved before moving to higher levels (yellow to gray). The need for food, water, and shelter must be met prior to any other needs. These needs must be met by a caregiver due to the infants/toddlers inability to achieve those needs on their own. The hierarchy has been added to with additional needs but this is the basis of Maslow’s theory.

Attachment- John Bowlby initiated the theory of attachment, which he defined as connections between human beings. Bowlby believed early experiences in childhood and connections with caregivers have an important influence on development and behavior later in life. Bowlby believed that there are four distinguishing characteristics of attachment:

1. Proximity Maintenance - The desire to be near the people we are attached to.
2. Safe Haven - Returning to the attachment figure for comfort and safety in the face of a fear or threat.
3. Secure Base - The attachment figure acts as a base of security from which the child can explore the surrounding environment.
4. Separation Distress - Anxiety that occurs in the absence of the attachment figure.

Mary Ainsworth furthered Bowlby’s studies on attachment by conducting the Strange Situation Experiment. The study involved observing children between the ages of 12 to 18 months responding to a situation in which they were briefly left alone, left with a stranger, and then reunited with their mother (Ainsworth, 1978).

Watch the a video of the Strange Situation

Her study demonstrated there were 4 different types of attachment:

• Secure attachment. Securely attached children become upset when separated from caregivers and are happy when their caregiver returns. These children feel secure and able to depend on their adult caregivers. When the adult leaves, the child may be upset but he or she feels assured that the parent or caregiver will return. When frightened, securely attached children will seek comfort from caregivers. These children know their parent or caregiver will provide comfort and reassurance, so they are comfortable seeking them out in times of need.

• Ambivalent-insecure attachment. Ambivalently attached children usually become very upset when a parent leaves. Research suggests that ambivalent attachment is a result of the mother not being available to the child. These children cannot depend on their mother (or caregiver) to be there when the child is in need.

• Avoidant-insecure attachment. Children with an avoidant attachment tend to avoid parents or caregivers. When offered a choice, these children will show no preference between a caregiver and a complete stranger. Research has suggested that this attachment style might be a result of abusive or neglectful caregiving. Children who are punished for relying on a caregiver will learn to avoid seeking help in the future.

• Disorganized-insecure attachment. Children with a disorganized attachment often display a confusing mix of behavior and may seem disoriented, dazed, or confused. Children may both avoid or resist the parent. Some researchers believe that the lack of a clear attachment pattern is likely linked to inconsistent behavior from caregivers. In such cases, parents may serve as both a source of comfort and a source of fear, leading to disorganized behavior.

Problems with Attachment

What happens to children who do not form secure attachments? Later in life, behaviors can be displayed that researchers believe are generated by failure to form secure attachments early in life. Children diagnosed with oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder (CD) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) frequently display attachment problems, possibly due to early abuse, neglect or trauma. 
Research indicates that early attachments can have a serious impact on later relationships. For example, those who are securely attached in childhood tend to have good self-esteem, strong romantic relationships and the ability to self-disclose to others. As adults, they tend to have healthy, happy and lasting relationships. 

Temperament – temperament is the way an individual responds. Children respond to different things in different ways. Some have easy going temperaments and others are a bit more difficult. Some are considered slow to warm temperaments.

Children with easy temperaments follow a regular schedule for eating, sleeping, and elimination. They are open to experiences, have a good attention span, are not over sensitive to stimuli, and are usually happy. Difficult children are irregular, have intense reactions, are slow to adapt, and have high activity levels; they are not usually very happy. Slow to warm babies fall between easy and difficult. They may take a little time to warm up to new situations but then are typically happy. 

One of the major consistent themes throughout all of these theories is INTERACTIONS!  Infants and toddlers need positive interactions and communication.  As you read Chapter 2 (pgs. 13-27) in The Early Years Matter, take note of all of the things that talk about or relate to INTERACTIONS and COMMUNICATION.
                                                                       
Early Childhood Educators set up an environment and create daily routines that optimize our interactions and communication levels with young children.  We intentionally plan activities that children are interested in and talk to families to enable growth and communication. We place ourselves in the classroom where the children are so that we are available.  We maintain flexibility and positive body language to create positive interactions that meet their needs.  Everything we do is based on these theories that are grounded in beliefs related to INTERACTIONS and COMMUNICATION.

Assessment

Lesson 7 Assignment

A Day in a Life

You may format your response to the prompt below any way you choose (essay, chart, graph, brainstorm list) but make sure it is organized and understandable. 

Use your Developmentally Appropriate Practice text guide your response

In 2-3 pages, describe a day as an early childhood educator of either an infant or a toddler in a child care setting.

• Clearly identify the age you decide to describe. (0-8 months, 8-18 months or 18-36 months)
• What is the setting/environment like?
• What might happen during the day?
• What is the child doing (able to do) physically?
• What activities might they be involved in?
• How and what might they be eating?
• What emotions might be experienced?
• What types of interactions might occur?
• What are you (the caregiver) doing?
• What else might you be doing that is important to the care of the child?

Include a section on how things might be different (or the same) if you were spending a day with a child from the age group you did not choose (if you described an infant, discuss a toddler in this paragraph; if you described a toddler, discuss an infant in this paragraph).

Lesson 7 Discussion

After reading your Early Years Matter chapter, what do you view as the biggest joy and/or challenge of supporting infants and toddlers?