That doesn’t mean that theories provide a “rule book” they are required to follow. Most certainly not. Rather it means that they have to understand theories, use theories to guide them in what they see and how they interpret what they see, and in the kinds of learning opportunities they provide.

Over the next few weeks, I will share the key elements of some of the child development theories I have been recently teaching my first year students.

Let’s start with Erikson’s Psycho-social theory. Erikson (1902-1994) suggested that children pass through different stages of development. Each stage is characterised by a very important concept that must be learned. For babies, Erikson says the most important learning is about trust: can babies trust the adults in their world to look after them or can they not?

Trust is built when adults are responsive. Baby cries, someone comes and provides food and a nappy change. Baby is sad, someone offers a cuddle. If we are not responsive (baby cries, sometimes someone feeds and changes but sometimes not) babies learn the world around them is not trustworthy.

They learn that it is not worth reaching out and trying to communicate (if I cry no one comes anyway so it’s not worth crying any more) and that creates a major problem for long-term thinking and language development.  

Toddlers learn if they are capable human beings who can successfully do things, or if they are likely to fail and therefore better off not trying. The way that we respond to the inevitable toddler – “I do it myself” – determines how they think about themselves.

Imagine your toddler wants to feed herself. She is not very good at it and you know there is going to be food not only all over her but also all over the high chair and the floor. How do you respond? Imagine you say, “No, you make too much mess. I will feed you.” You are teaching that the best strategy for her to follow in her life is for her to not try and do things – not the best strategy to set her up for learning new things in the future.

Imagine instead you give her the spoon but get cross when there is mess everywhere. When you are cross you are teaching her that she is not good enough, and that if she tries something new she’d better be sure she gets it right first time otherwise she’s better not to try. She is likely to be scared to try new things and come to you constantly for help.

Now imagine you put a huge sheet of plastic under the chair, you change her out of her dress and put on an old t-shirt. You give her the spoon and you sit next to her. Maybe you have a spoon as well. You demonstrate how to scoop food onto the spoon. You might physically help her to get a little food on the spoon or provide a little physical support. The food finally reaches her mouth. You might play a game – one spoonful of yours, one spoonful of mine.

Mealtime is going to take more of your time but she will learn quickly and within a short time you will be able to leave her to feed herself with the spoon.

She has learned that she is a capable human being, someone who can try, and try again, and eventually succeed; a lesson that ideally every child should learn.  

Erikson’s theory tells us that when we work with babies, being responsive to them is essential. When we work with toddlers, we need to understand the language we use in response to their attempts at doing things for themselves will become internalised and shape the way they think about themselves over their lifetime.

How we respond to our young children is so very important.