Sure, being a parent isn’t easy and it never will be but when it comes to understanding your children, there are lots of things that can be done to give you a little insight into how they tick. There are several stages of neurological development that we can work to be aware of that, in turn, will help us understand why our kids do what they do.

Brain development changes at every stage in life and as this occurs we become more of who we are and our abilities really take full circle. Now, when it comes to childhood development there are four specific cognitive stages. Those stages range from birth to about eleven years of age and up. By learning more about each stage you can figure out about when your kids are going to become more aware of their own feelings, the past, and even when they’re going to be able to work to solve their own problems within reason.

Don’t get me wrong, sure there will be outside factors and other things that come into play that should be taken into consideration but this is a step towards really working to understand where your child is at in his or her development. The more you push them in the right ways during each stage the more you will be able to see them truly excel.

The four stages are as follows according to Learning RX:

1. Sensorimotor Stage: Birth through about 2 years.

During this stage, children learn about the world through their senses and the manipulation of objects.

2. Preoperational Stage: Ages 2 through 7.

During this stage, children develop memory and imagination. They are also able to understand things symbolically and to understand the ideas of past and future.

3. Concrete Operational Stage: Ages 7 through 11.

During this stage, children become more aware of external events, as well as feelings other than their own. They become less egocentric and begin to understand that not everyone shares their thoughts, beliefs, or feelings.

4. Formal Operational Stage: Ages 11 and older.

During this stage, children are able to use logic to solve problems, view the world around them, and plan for the future.

Knowing what stage your child is in will allow you to focus on the things they need to learn during that stage. For instance, if your child is in the concrete operational stage you could put a lot of focus on empathy and other things of the sort. This allows us to raise the best people we can and allows us to really put forth a proper effort when it comes to making sure our children are as developed as they should be before they are out and about in the ‘real world.’

For more information on this topic and to learn how stress affects a child’s development please feel free to check out the video below. How do you feel about all of this? Do you think it is important to be aware of?