Early Childhood Observation year-old Andrew is a Caucasian male. He was dressed in brown khaki trousers and a navy blue shirt. Andrew' trousers have their pockets on the side. He is of average height and body mass. He loved this catchy haircut and put on a pleasant smile. He has this buoyant and controlling demeanor. He loved to play with his age mates, especially the boys. There are times when he played alone, especially when he noticed that matters were becoming too physical and here he demonstrates the withdrawn-rejected aspect of development. His psychosocial character is evident at times, for instance, when he goes off to meet his friends and have some games with them. However, Andrew carefully observed his cleanliness and grooming. He showed signs of being egocentric, viewing the world from his own perspective. The latter character was uncommon among the children in the children's park playground. This young man lives with his mom in the state of Idaho. His father, who was an engineer, died when Andrew was still very young. He passed on as a result of hypertension, an ailment that runs in the family. He is the last in a family of four. He has a sister and two brothers. Coincidentally, he had a group of 3 boys and a girl as friends that he frequently played with at the playground. When he was taken to the mall by his mother, he remained lonely. He spent time viewing various action figures at the mall indicating concrete operational thought. He asked his mother if he could get one of the figures on display.

Andrew was at the Idaho playground, close to where his mother had worked for long. The park was filled with green grass and spotted with benches for people to sit on. It is a large open area that has reserved a corner for children's play and is equipped with children's playthings. There were many children already playing in this section of the park. Since his mother was busy reading through a document, she tells Andrew to join his friends for play at the park. Andrew did not initially run off, suggesting that he has an information-processing perspective; he waits and watches to see how things go. There were about 15 children, ranging from kindergarten to second grade, playing in the park at the moment. Andrew moved to play with his usual three boys and a girl. The game was not exactly physical, but the usual hide and seek that didn't need much running around. Andrew seemed to excel in this game. He could hide successfully or seek out others with success. However, the rest of the crew began taking it a little too seriously and engaged in running episodes. It is at that point that Andrew withdrew and moved on to watch other people playing chess, again indicating concrete operational thought, as he prefers to concentrate on mechanical objects rather than engage in physical rough housing. He thus also demonstrated an example of industry versus inferiority, feeling skilled at hide and seek but inferior at the physical sport.

It was about 45 minutes into observation time, when Andrew left with his mother who went to the mall, which was not far off. Andrew saw and admired action figures of a variety of comic book characters, further displaying his concrete operational thought. His mother was absorbed in her shopping activity. Andrew would occasionally find a fascinating action figure and prompted his mom whether he could have the book. His mother eventually allowed him one of the action figures he had admired. Andrew was conspicuously excited as he jumped at his mother's acceptance to allow him an action figure. He ran down the book lane to check if he could have an even better character. He ended up with an iron man action figure in his hands. He was still excited nonetheless. They left in the car, moments later.

The time that the observation started and stopped

1:21pm-2:45pm

STAGE

A nine-year-old child is typically at a crossroads in as far as development is concerned. He is right in the middle of child development stage, and his psychosocial expressions are still somewhat latent as he does not demonstrate a desire for adventure but more for analysis. They are generally standing right on the edge of adolescence. Children at this stage are still children in character and deed. However, they are increasingly evolving into independent beings and are grown enough to tackle a lot of situations with minimal intervention by an adult (Lee, 2016). The tendency for children to grow independent becomes obvious at this point....

One of the reasons for such independence from parents is that the children are now spending little time with their parents. Instead, they spend a lot more time with teachers, team leaders in various activities, ballet dance trainers, music teachers, small league sports coaches, Sunday School Teachers and other similar groups of interest and influence. They are also likely to spend more time with the directors of local YMCA and YWCA. Participating in formal and other school programs helps children to interact with a variety of religious and ethnic groups and the personal styles in all their diversity and to develop their selective attention, focusing on certain stimuli and not on others. They see adults take up different roles. They also see adults taking up similar roles. In due course, they can compare how adults act and react in their roles and form value judgments on how figures in authority perceive the behavior and personality of their peer members. This is the process of immersion, through which they develop a sense of self and relationship to world.
The development of a child is strongly anchored on healthy friendships. However, parents should look out for peer pressure that becomes increasingly strong at this point. Confident children handle peer pressure in a better way, according to Kohlberg's Self-Concept. They get to make better choices. Children should be assisted to gain a sense of independence and responsibility at this time. Puberty signs might begin to show at this point. Starting middle and junior high school is one big change that children should be helped to prepare for (CDC, 2016). Children aged 9 years are on the brink of adolescence. This is a major developmental stage in which children should expect a lot of emotional, physical and relational changes. 9-year-old children will generally show stronger and more consistent muscle control. They are usually able to handle their personal hygiene and take care of themselves satisfactorily. They may see some signs of puberty too. Body image issues are a central occurrence among children of this age. This is also the stage where children experience a development spurt that is characterized by sudden weight gain, elongation of the hands and legs, and an accompanying increase in their height within a short period. Such spurt tends to start sooner for the girls and lasts longer for boys who become taller. The period of puberty marks the time when hormones in the pituitary glands stir the production of testosterone in men and estrogen in females. These changes start sooner in girls than boys. For girls, it starts from 9 to 12 years, while in boys, it starts from 11 to 14 years. The period of puberty marks a time when the skin becomes oilier and may bear pimples. Sweating increases too. There may also be an incidence of body odor. Both males and females grow pubic hair and under their arms. The males may also see more hair on their chest and on the face. The general body figure changes. The females grow wider hips while the males broaden their shoulders. Some adolescents may experience aches at the joints because of fast growth. Additional signs of change include a darker scrotum, sperms are produced, and erection is rampant, ejaculation and wet dreams being a common occurrence too, in boys. For females, there is genital maturity, development of breasts, the start of the menstrual cycle and increased vaginal lubrication. Masturbation is also a common occurrence among both males and females. They may also experience fantasies about sexual encounters and intimacy with others (Advocates for youth, 2008).

A lot of children are emotionally mature by the time they reach 9 years. They can tackle frustrations and conflict better. These children are relatively independent and can handle life situations, including socializing without the intervention of their parents. They may participate in sleepovers at their neighbor's place. They show a strong tendency to belong to a particular peer group. This is where they become more vulnerable to peer-pressure. They seriously need the support and anchorage of their caregivers or parents. Moodiness is a common occurrence at this stage. 9-year-old children will commonly show intention to help in making decisions that affect the family. They will help in more activities around the home, including chores and responsibilities. They tend to yearn for organization and order. They may record their activities so that they are always at speed. They also increase their social circles…