What is childhood? Oxford's Rocksfordz

What is Childhood? The Actual Meaning You Didn’t Know!

Have you ever wondered – what is childhood? The concept seems simple enough.

Childhood is the most important stage for development in kids. 

The nature vs. nurture debate is gaining considerable traction. But if we’re going to be honest, nurture plays a more influential role in how a child’s brain expands progressively. 

Children learn from their environment. They adopt the habits and principles from the grown-ups around them and start acting accordingly.

At Rocksfordz we believe that as academicians, we need to understand childhood stages and characteristics.

In short, it is essential to understand the real meaning of childhood. 

If you consult a dictionary, the answer would be pretty clear. A child is a human being in the early phase of their development – between infancy and puberty.

But it’s not as clear-cut as Oxford would like. Childhood is a complex stage for children’s development. As grown-ups, it is our responsibility to learn more about an infant’s most crucial developmental phase. 

Table of Contents

What is Childhood?

Childhood meaning - Oxford's Roxksfordz

Moving beyond the scope of a dictionary, we can define childhood as that stage in a child’s life where their memory consciousness is being developed. 

What this implies is that children start to remember and learn at this stage of their developmental process. 

The concept of childhood is especially important from a parental point of view. If you understand the actual meaning and science behind childhood, you can promote intelligent growth in your child. 

At What Age Does Childhood Begin?

Childhood begins from infancy itself. Many experts tend to classify childhood as a period that starts from a newborn’s birth. 

However, others prefer to believe that childhood starts after a baby’s first birthday, when their brains start developing memory consciousness and retention abilities. 

At What Age Does Childhood End?

Childhood ends at around 12-13 years of age, when the child is about to hit puberty, just at the end of their adolescence period. 

Interesting Facts About Childhood

Facts about childhood - Oxford's Rocksfordz

You already know the definition of childhood. We have also tried to clarify the concept of childhood by sharing relevant details.

Now, it’s time to take a more interesting turn. Here are some fun facts about childhood and children’s abilities in their developmental stage. 

These might help you if someone asks you to explain development characteristics during childhood during your next conversation!

1. Kids Are Ambidextrous

Ever noticed that your baby (or someone else’s) uses both hands to perform a particular task? That’s because their motor skills are ambidextrous. They can use both hands equally well.

Of course, their skills aren’t refined. They cannot juggle or write with both (or even one) hands. 

2. Vast Cellullar Network

Just for your information, we’re not talking about cell phones here, thankfully. 

When babies are born, they have more than a hundred billion neurons (brain nerve cells). But only a few neurons have synapses or connections between them. 

When a child learns something, more and more synapses develop in their brain. This is how children retain and adopt habits from the environment around them. 

3. Cerebral Cortex Development

A newborn baby’s entire body is functional save for one part – their cerebral cortex.

If you’ve read your biology, that part of the brain controls motor skills, memories, and other functions. 

Development of the cerebral cortex requires actual experience and interaction with the environment. 

Next time your baby is making illegible sounds, you better communicate back for the sake of their development!

4. Children Learn From Their Environment

Children are curious beings. They see, they absorb, and they copy.

If you put them in a good, learning, interactive environment, their growth process will improve by ten folds.

5. Children Learn Most During The First 2 Years

At the somewhat ripe age of 2, children have more synapses than any other adult. That is why, their brain is able to learn and absorb fast. 

So, teach your kids everything they need to know before the synapses start disappearing!

The Role of Early Childhood Development

One of the most fundamental questions of life is – what is childhood? Well, fasten your seatbelt and allow us to clarify the concept of childhood is this educational piece!

If you’re reading this blog, you’re either a concerned parent or a highly intelligent child. Either way, it’s relevant for you. 

Childhood is fundamental to a kid’s development, both emotionally and physically. 

Nowadays, guardians are looking for tips and techniques to engage in happy parenting. If you’re one them, you know the benefits – happy kids are more successful, healthier, and more intelligent. 

But why is that? Why should a child’s early years define their entire life?

Well, the same way a good book’s early chapters set the premise for a nail-biting climax.

No, we did not compare your child with a book. It was just an analogy. 

Point is, Science states that childhood is the most sensitive period for a human’s growth and intelligence. And we can’t exactly argue with Science, can we?

But let’s find out the reason behind this conclusive statement. 

What are the Primary Characteristics of Childhood?

Primary Characteristics of Childhood - Oxford's Rocksfordz

Before we go any deeper, it’s imperative to understand the concept of childhood

So, what do you mean by childhood? We can start that by discussing some fundamental traits in children. 

Many different characteristics and levels of development can be observed in children as they grow and mature. Some of the key characteristics of childhood include:

  1. Physical development: This includes changes in a child’s body size, shape, and physical abilities, such as walking, running, and using fine motor skills.
  2. Cognitive development refers to a child’s ability to think, reason, and solve problems. It includes the development of memory, attention, and problem-solving skills.
  3. Emotional and social development: This involves the development of a child’s emotions, social skills, and relationships with others. It includes the development of self-awareness, self-regulation, and the ability to express and manage emotions.
  4. Language and communication development: This involves the development of a child’s ability to understand and use language to communicate with others.
  5. Play and leisure skills include developing a child’s ability to engage in play and leisure activities, which can help them learn and practice new skills and explore their interests.

 

The characteristics that guide these levels or phases of development are:

Dependency

Children are highly dependent. They cannot survive on their own. They require constant nurturing, both in the form of nutrition and brain fodder. 

That’s right, children need healthy interaction and depend on the grown-ups for their development. The more you teach them, the more they learn.

On their own, they hardly grow any form of intelligence at all. 

Vulnerability

Children are vulnerable. Their body is weaker and immunity is less prominent.

Apart from nurturing, they also require protection, against illnesses, against other humans, or against anything that might threaten their development.

Resilience

Children show higher signs of resilience than grown-ups. This is because they consider they don’t have a lot to lose.

When they face any difficulty, they tend to bounce back quicker. 

Why is Early Development So Important for Children?

Early childhood - Oxford's Rocksfordz

Children require a different kind of nourishing in every phase of their development. To truly understand the concept of childhood, one must also understand the crucial stages of childhood. These stages do well to explain the development characteristics during childhood

Several different levels of childhood development can also be observed as children grow and mature. These include:

Infancy: This covers the first year of a child’s life and includes physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development.

Early childhood: This covers the ages of 2-6 and includes continued physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development, as well as the development of language and communication skills.

Middle childhood: This covers the ages of 6-11 and includes further physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development, as well as the development of more advanced language and communication skills.

Adolescence: This covers the ages of 11-18 and includes physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development as children transition into adulthood.

So, what is the role of these characteristics of childhood stage in a kid’s development process? Let’s find out. 

First 6 Years are Crucial for Development

Children learn the most in their early years. This is because they have more synapses (neural connections) when they are growing up.

The more they learn, the more they’ll retain and absorb. If they don’t interact with their environment a lot at this stage, they will always have lesser potential. 

Identifying Learning Difficulties

If you’re a parent, try and find signs of learning difficulties in children. As they grow up, it becomes increasingly difficult to identify such disabilities.

For example, dyslexia is easy to identify in children who cannot read well. But most parents discard it as the child being disobedient and suffer later. 

Helps in Building Positive Experiences

Early childhood should be nurturing. Not only will it make the child smarter and more intelligent, it will also make them happier. And sometimes, happiness is the key to all kinds of success. 

Promotes Enthusiasm for Learning

Early childhood development requires proper interaction. The more children learn, the more they will like learning. If you satiate their curiosity enough, they will enjoy learning and excel at all spheres of life. 

Summing Up

Now that you know the true meaning and definition of childhood, you can provide the best nourishment for your child’s body and mind.

Remember, a child’s development is not all about their mental growth. Physical nurturing is as important and often dictates a child’s mental capacity.

As a parent, it’s safe to say that you cannot slack off while you are on duty. It’s your responsibility and duty to give your child the best and the most educational childhood that they could ask for. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Childhood starts as soon as a baby is born, up until the time when the child hits his or her puberty. While there is no definite age for the end of an infant’s childhood, their behavioral development has a lot to do with it. 

Generally, there are two main phases of childhood. The first phase is the early childhood which is applicable in the case of a newborn up until the time they turn at least 5 years of age. Then, the middle childhood phase starts which lasts for as long as the child hits their adolescence years. 

Children develop most of their lifelong habits, thoughts, and principles in their childhood phase. This has a lot to do with the rapid development of their brain and cellular network in the early phases of their upbringing. As such, it is crucial to pay extra care to the growth of children. 

Generally, except in the case of special children, most of the babies start having memories and retaining them when they are as young as 2 years old. However, there are reports of children remembering instances from when they were younger, but only in exceptional circumstances. 

The early experiences of a child provides a solid foundation for how they cope with difficult situations later on in their life. In some cases, the earliest memories and environment of the child becomes the basis for their learning abilities, behaviour, and objectives for the future. 

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