The Importance Of Development From The Fetal Stage To 2 Years Old
Once we accept that a child in the womb has the capacity to learn, the question becomes when is the best time to encourage a child's inherent capabilities. Is there a time past which it becomes more difficult for a child to absorb experiences? Many people believe that there is such a time during which the groundwork for both the physical and psychological aspects of a child's personality are being laid. They call this time the "critical period".
Around the year 1975, problems relating to the mother-child relationships began to receive widespread attention in the United States. In particular, child abuse and the resulting psychosomatic illnesses, such as autism, were focused on. As a result, it was discovered that if a child does not receive enough love from its mother during the "critical period" many basic interpersonal and learning skills may be slow in developing, or in extreme cases, may never develop at all. Adults who have been brought up without enough love will not have an easy time, since it is very difficult for person to make changes in his or her character once it is formed.
From a psychological perspective, this "critical period" begins from the moment of birth and encompasses the first year of life. I, however, would extend this time period to include the nine months before birth. If this is true, then it may be that we need to take a hard look at our attitude toward and treatment of children both before and after birth. Perhaps, because of our preconceptions and ignorance regarding this "critical period", we are failing to take advantage of the tremendous abilities all children possess.
