This time in life is called the Oral period, that is between 0 and 1 years of age. They get to know how to suck, bite, and want independence. They are building trust/mistrust, and knowing what hurt is all about. They are seeing rewards, and consequences and forming opinions. Do you know when they are really hurting our controlling you? They let you know by the type of cry coming from their mouths. You know rather they are boys, or girls, by the plumbing, and they are growing by what we teach them, in this early environment.
They have needs, intense and urgent demands for oral satisfaction. Nutrition- sucking pleasure, sensory stimulation; optic, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, love and approval.
They have task to achieve, feeling of security, and trust, separation of self, from non-self, coordination, ambulation, and symbolization revealing the five senses of the body, soul and spirit.
They are going to experience basic traumas, like interference with nutrition, acute or chronic illnesses, gastro intestinal upsets, very perplexing allergies. Interference with sucking pleasure. Sometimes rejection (crying out in a rage) lose of approval, seeing growth stymies acceptance.
There sensory stimulation many time will have interference, like separation from family members, death, rejection by mother, or dad whom they have never known. Faulty weaning ,or potty training is a biggy
Then we see symptoms of breakdowns, psychosomatic disorders, anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, breathing disorders and circulatory disorders. Rage reactions, crying uncontrollable, withdraw actions, dullness and apathy. I am sure you can find many more because of what drugs are doing in the systems of our babies. In 1987 when we were taking training to be the Director of the Group Home in Southern CA, the medical profession told us we are seeing thing in children today different than at any time in the children of America because of babies carried in the womb filled with drugs. They were sure we have not seen the end results, how true they were.
Now let’s look at 1-2 years of age still in the infancy stage, a little more control and understanding of what is needed, from what is wanted. It is important for parents to know that there is a right way, and a wrong way, to train up our children. If early steps are not taken and learned, future steps, will block progress to subsequent steps. It is one step at a time, one line at a time, one thought at a time. They are developing in all five senses of the body, seeing, tasting, feeling, hearing and smelling. The soul is beginning to develop it’s five senses, memory, conscience, imagination, reason, and affection. So what we do is going to affect our kids in everyone of these areas, or cycles of growth. Now we have not talked about the five senses of the Spirit, faith, hope, reverence, prayer and worship, because the spirit is beginning to be learned by what the parents do in their Spirit. If parents pray for there baby toddlers, the child begins to learn the importance of prayer. Do we not learn most be rote, going over and over the same things, until they become a part of our lives, regardless of the age? Garbage in, Garbage Out, is the term we hear today, that takes on a whole different meaning with the use of computers.
This age is learning what there automy is all about, and beginning to understand shame, verses competency, plus beginning to doubt, as they are learning to talk, go potty, and walk, they are learning consequences, and want to feel good about themselves. That is the reason during these early years parents should be encouraging and assuring as much as possible. Not over rewarding, but rewarding with out embarrassing, or damaging they’re little souls. Right actions satisfy personal needs, so encourage fairness, being good to please others. Good intentions avoid disapproval/dislikes, and it needs to be understood in order that our kids do not suffer damage to their little psychics. They are learning good behavior and attitude is there duty in this social system, to avoid censure and condemnation. Guilt is beginning to come alive, preventing them from hurting, in any area of there lives. As soon as they know it’s wrong, they stop feeding the wrong, and begin to do something else. They know it is better to obey rules, to enjoy what they are doing that is right. They are learning to gain respect for self, by the decisions they make. The understanding of the basics is, physical: food, clothes, shelter, safety, belonging, love, self esteem, and self actualization is becoming reality. Imaginations is becoming very vivid and the reality of what is good from bad, is paying off.
Being a parent is very complex, we need to understand ourselves as parents, so we may benefit the family. That is remembering who we are at all times, Gods creation, and He has a perfect plan for each of us.