Behavior and Social Learning

   

 Children learn how to behave by imitating the behavior they see. It is not human nature to automatically do the right thing we have to be taught. A parent's expectations help to shape a child's behavior. Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory states that behavior is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning. Bandura believes that people are information processors and that they think about their actions and its consequences. Children have many models in society such as athletes, TV shows, cartoon characters,etc... The child will also consider what consequences the model has after certain behavior. This also influences a child's behavior. This is called vicarious reinforcement.
   Reinforcement can be either positive or negative but either way it will cause a change in behavior. Children want the approval of their parents and the feeling of disappointment from parents can sometimes be enough to deter the behavior

     When I become a teacher it is important for me to understand why children behave the way they do, and how I can change their behavior. It is very possible that I will have students in my class that are disobedient. There are many causes for this but the main one being a lack of discipline and expectations from the parents. In a class with twenty kids there has to be discipline. I want my students to understand that I have expectations of them and if they do not behave there will be consequences. 
(McLeod, S. A. (2011). Bandura - Social Learning Theory. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/bandura.html).

Physical Development

The Fetal Stage is around 8 weeks from conception until the baby is born. In this stage of life the baby begins to form its skeleton.The baby also begins to respond to sounds and vibrations. Even the mood of the mother can effect the baby. As soon as the baby is born the bonding between baby and mother is crucial. The child begins reaching milestones in language. Usually a baby begins babbling and attempting to talk around 6 months but their first understood words won't come until after their first birthday. The older they get the more independent the child will become. When the child hits puberty, usually in middle school, they become sexually mature and their reproductive organs have fully developed.This time in their life can be challenging and strange to them. They may feel awkward and if they don't have friends going through puberty at the same time the child may feel alone. This time in their life it is very important for parents to maintain a close relationship with their children and let them know that they are not alone in these changes in their body.

Parenting

 

   Parents have the most influence on their children. That can be a good thing but it can also be a not so good thing. The way parents discipline their children has a huge impact on their development socially and emotionally. If parents are not involved in their child's life their children feel neglected and have a high tendency to get into to more trouble at school, get involved with drugs, or drop out of school. The warmth that parents bring into their relationship with their children can decide whether or not the child will be obedient(V.D."The Importance of Parent-child Relations in the General Development of Children." Everyday Life. Demand Media, n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2015). 

     The roles of each parent are very different in the roles they play in their child's development emotionally and socially. Mothers serve as the protector and teacher while fathers are counselors and life coaches(V.D. "The Importance of Parent-child Relations in the General Development of Children." Everyday Life. Demand Media, n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2015). Parents have a very important job of training up their children and teaching them. Even when children think their parents are just spending quality time with them they can actually be learning useful life skills.