Your baby may be a daughter or son or a grandchild and may also be a sibling, a niece, or a cousin. This is all part of her developing sense of self. At 12-18 months old, she is starting to understand how she fits into these different categories, and she knows her name, who her parents are, and how she feels at any given moment. Although she may not be able to talk about it yet, she is gaining a firm understanding of Family Roles and knows her place within her family.

According to psychologist Erik Erikson’s theory of Psychosocial Development, a person’s self-identify and “ego” is defined by new experiences and information picked up during his social interactions with others.¹ And because initial social interactions are almost exclusively with family members, they are arguably the most influential people in the development of a child’s Self-Concept. Your baby’s view of herself and her ability to build relationships and engage with those around her depend on her family relationships and experiences.² The actual family structure (two parent household, single parent household, etc.) in which children are raised matters less to the development of their Self-Concept than the consistency of a safe and stable environment and care.²

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Parents who are attentive, quick to respond, and interactive with their babies let their children know that they are safe and cared for.³ This knowledge allows children to worry less about survival and focus more on learning about their world.³ Erikson believed that a conflict 12- to 18-month-old children face is one of Trust vs. Mistrust. One of their tasks at this stage of life centers on learning who they can trust and who they cannot.¹ Because infants and young babies are completely dependent upon caregivers at this stage, they are looking for people they can trust and build secure, loving bonds with.

Furthermore, psychologist Lev Vygotsky stressed the importance of creating meaning through social interactions. He believed that understanding and cognition can only happen through social interaction and that by imitating the actions of a successful teacher or capable peer, a child can form strategies for problem solving.⁴ As a child’s primary source of social interaction, the family serves as an essential learning partner during the early years.

It is important to remember that your whole family is important to your baby, not just primary caretakers. Children at this age are aware that they are people who are separate from one another and that they each have their special place in the home and family. To help your baby feel like an important and vital part of the family, involve her in family activities whenever possible.⁵ Encourage her to take part in helping with tasks like getting dressed, feeding the family pet, picking up toys, and removing dishes from the kitchen table by mirroring the tasks of other family members. Talk to her about each family member, describing them by their names and family roles (e.g. “Daddy,” “Brother,” “Sister,” “Uncle”).

Give your baby the opportunity to play next to siblings, cousins, and children of friends,⁵ which lets her compare herself with others and further develop her self-identity. Point out the relationships in other families (e.g. “Sarah’s sister is helping her clean up, isn’t that nice?”) as well as extended relationships within your own family (e.g. “Grandma is my mommy!”).

Play Tips:

Do you want to know how you can support your baby’s development of Family Roles skills at this age? It’s easy! Read on for some simple tips to incorporate into your daily play time together.

1. Encourage your baby to interact with her different family members. Remember that your baby is invested in her whole family, not just her primary caretakers. Allow her plenty of time to play alongside her siblings or cousins, if she has them, to watch how older children act and how their roles and abilities change with age. Name family members using both their given names and their family roles (“Jason is your big brother”). Make time for family meals every day, and talk about your day as a family.
2. Involve your baby in the daily work of the family.⁵ Ask her to put her toys away into the proper bin, place her cup on the table, or put her dirty clothes in the hamper. By watching how each family member goes about their daily routine, she will understand their different roles as well as become a vital part of family life.
3. Read family-oriented books. Observing characters in a story that mirror her own family can help a child understand how the members of a family relate to one another. Stories can help define the roles of children within a family unit, and they are also a great opportunity to introduce less traditional families and/or other family roles like a single parent family (e.g. “Two Homes” by Claire Masurel) and spending time with grandparents (e.g. “My Grandma and I” by P.K. Hallinan). Is she about to become an older brother or sister? Read books that introduce her to experience of welcoming a new baby into the family and her new role as Big Brother or Big Sister! Try out “I’m a Big Sister” by Joanna Cole or “The New Baby” by Mercer Mayer.

(SPECIAL OFFER: Sign up for Playful Bee’s Bee Well developmental learning program to give your baby the best start in life. The first 10,000 children enroll for FREE! Sign up today.)

Developmental Milestones:

Has your baby achieved the following Family Roles developmental milestones yet? If yes, check off all the skill(s) she has already mastered to date using Playful Bee’s developmental milestones tracker. It’s absolutely FREE and easy to use, just click HERE!

• Understands her family identity and roles (“I am a son,” “You are mommy”).

Sources:

¹Mooney, Carol Garhart (2000). Theories of Childhood: An Introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget, and Vygotsky. St Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.

²Woodhead, Martin and Brooker, Liz (2008). Developing Positive Identities (Early Childhood in Focus 3). Milton Keynes, UK: The Open University. Retrieved March 21, 2014, from http://www.bernardvanleer.org/Developing_Positive_Identities_Diversity_and_Young_Children.

³Sears, William and Sears, Martha (2001). The Attachment Parenting Book. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

⁴Liu, Angela (2012). Teaching in the Zone: An introduction to working within the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) to drive effective early childhood instruction. Children’s Progress. Retrieved January 22, 2014, from http://www.childrensprogress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/free-white-paper-vygotsky-zone-of-proximal-development-zpd-early-childhood.pdf.

⁵Washington State Department of Early Learning (2012). Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines: Birth through 3rd Grade.

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Playful Bee

Education Team at Playful Bee

Playful Bee is an e-Preschool that delivers inquiry-based preschool learning from the classroom to your home. Our preschool curriculum was created by our talented team of rock star teachers. With years of hands-on preschool and Kindergarten teaching experience, they've developed a high-quality preschool experience that is convenient-to-use and easy-to-teach by you, grandparents, or your nanny at home.

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