Infancy And TODDLERHOOD Period
PHYSIOLOGICAL Needs
Physiological needs during this period are as important as ever. As a baby grows into a toddler their nutrient intake needs to keep up with that growth. Poor nutrients can actually slow the physical development of a young child. With infants, there is a lot of evidence that breast feeding is the best option if available. Toddlers need to be introduced to healthy foods and encouraged to create healthy eating habits that help them make wise choices as they gain freedom over what they eat. Malnutrition during this period can lead to lower growth rates. In severe cases, infant malnutrition can produce Marasmus, where an infant stops growing. In older children, severe malnutrition can cause Kwashiorkor, a disease that causes parts of the body to swell with water. This picture is meant to convey the importance of a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Safety Needs
Infants and toddlers need a lot of help with fulfilling this need. Their general curiosity can get them into unsafe situations. One way they get this need met is by parents "Baby Proofing" their homes. Parents put locks on cupboards, covers on outlets, and gates on stairways to ensure their child's safety. One possible way for toddlers to provide safety for themselves without assistance is for them to follow rules set by their parents. Rules like "no playing on the stairs" provide the child with one of the first chances to meet this need themselves. Up to now, they have been almost entirely reliant on others to fulfill their needs. This picture shows a few ideas of how to make a home safe for the curious baby and toddler.
Belonging and Love needs
Infants and toddlers start to build relationships quickly. They start to build attachments with others and feel comforted (or disturbed) by others presence. A mothers voice or smell can make the child feel loved and comforted. A fathers hug can fill the child with joy and sense of security. It is also important for them to get feelings of belonging and love with other children as well. This can be accomplished through daycare and or play dates. This picture is an example of a father filling both the belonging and love needs, as well as the safety needs of the toddlers.
** click here to see a cute video of two children forming bonds and a relationship **
** click here to see a cute video of two children forming bonds and a relationship **
Esteem needs
Toddlers start to try and gain approval early on. Maslow thought of "esteem needs" in two different ways. The first way is to meet the needs to gain the respect of others. The second way is to gain self respect. Toddlers start to try to follow the direction of their parents in an attempt to please them. When the toddler knowingly does something that will please their parents, they often watch for the look of approval on their parents face. This is how they know they have gained respect, and in turn, makes them feel better about themselves. The picture shows an example of how a toddler might search out esteem needs. By going to the bathroom on a training toilet, he gets a positive reaction from his parent. This gives him a sense of accomplishment and self fulfillment.
Self-Actualization
Infants and toddlers most likely do not fulfill this need as described by Maslow. At 12 months a child is just beginning to become self aware. This means they are just beginning to understand that they are an individual person. For them to have a sense of what they are capable of is asking a lot. However, experiments show that they are able to recognize simple physical characteristics of their appearance and notice when it changes. This image shows a toddler exploring herself in a mirror, the beginning of a lifelong need to identify with who she is.