Toddlerhood
The most interesting and challenging part of childhood is Toddlerhood. In the infancy stage parents are aware of the child’s behavioral pattern. They know when to feed, wash, dress, put to sleep etc. as they get to spend more and more time with their child. As the infant is about to complete the first year, he or she starts asserting independence. The infant now learns to walk and talk during this stage. The mobility brings the stage of exploration. The toddler becomes curious of everything in sight and will try to get hold of anything that attracts him or her. It is now that the role of parents as care givers becomes that of teachers and nurturers as well. This stage needs both guidance and affection. It is now that the child has to be prepared to function as a member of a social group.
Parent child relationship at this stage is linked to the child’s psychological development: how responsive and demanding the parents are. Responsive parents are warm and accepting towards their children, enjoying their growth and development and seeing things from the perspective of the toddler. Parents low in responsiveness are usually aloof, rejecting and critical. A child will have a stable psychological health when parents are moderately demanding and responsive.
During toddlerhood a child learns to interact with other family members and strangers. It is the stage when a baby tries to communicate by babbling and then talking. It is the time when the child demands attention and appreciation from parents and other family members.
The little one is by now intelligent and sensitive enough to emotionally bond with the parents and other loved ones. As much as the toddler demands attention and love he or she understands the difference between his loved ones and outsiders. The child will assess the outsider from his or her own psychological level. While some are friendly by nature and can easily accept the stranger assessing the person from his/her interaction with the baby, some just refuse to accept a new face as a threat to his or her security.