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Chapter 1 Learning About Children 23
• experiences that are developmentally
appropriate. Each child needs
experiences tailored to his or her stage of
development. Parents and those working
in child-related careers need to know and
apply “best practices” for each stage of
development as the child matures.
• limit setting, structure, and expectations.
Children need both structure and
discipline in their lives. Parents and other
adults need to empathize with children’s
feelings, or understand and relate to them,
but set limits as well. In this way children
can develop self-discipline and resolve
confl icts in peaceful ways.
• stable communities and cultural
continuity. Children need continuity of
values in family, peer groups, and the
broader community. Parents and others
who work with children must work
together, not compete. For example, when
two adults have different ideas about
what they think is best for children and
are unwilling to work together, this would
be considered competing.
• protecting the future. People live in an
interdependent nation and world. Adults
must meet the needs of all children. To
protect the future for one child, people
must protect it for all.
Work With Children
In the past, people thought all the knowl-
edge and skills that adults need for child-related
careers—including parenting—came naturally.
Many felt just being raised in a family teaches
adults all they need to know about children and
child care skills.
Today, experts know that understanding
children requires careful study. Changes con-
tinue to take place in society and in families.
These changes require people to know more
about children’s growth and development than
what they observe in their own families. Adults
with child-related careers should study chil-
dren. Some careers may seem to focus mainly on
one aspect of children’s development. The child
is, however, a whole person. Anyone prepar-
ing for a child-related career should know some
about all aspects of children’s growth and devel-
opment. Learning more about children enables
workers in child-related careers to provide bet-
ter care for children.
Figure 1.11 Children achieve their potential through different
experiences and rates of growth; it is important that parents
recognize their children’s strengths and weaknesses and
nurture them accordingly. Consider two children you
know. What are their strengths and weaknesses? What
experiences might encourage growth for each of them?