The Egocentric Stage In Children: Danger! – Being Parents
Egocentrism manifests itself from an early age. The question is: how should parents act at the egocentric stage in children?
What self-centeredness implies in children
When a person shows egocentricity, it means that they are only thinking of themselves, no matter what others think. However, in the case of children, something different happens. The fact that they manifest selfishness does not necessarily mean that they are self-centered in them – themselves. Rather, that they are in a phase of evolution.
In this stage of evolution, children claim to be the protagonists, since they have not developed what is called empathetic thinking. In fact, every child has to go through this step. It’s even healthy to spend it, so parents don’t have to give it more importance than it should. What they should do is show affection and patience to the little one.
Phases of the egocentric stage in children
Saramago’s phrase refers to how bad it can be to let selfishness run free in adults and children. Hence, it is essential to know how to act during the egocentric stage in children. But first, it is convenient to know the phases of this step, which will be mentioned below:
The discovery phase
In this phase, the child learns from everything he sees around him. So if he notices individualistic behavior, this is what he will emulate. Therefore, it is important to teach good behavior by example.
The bonding phase
It is then that attachment and friendship are born in the child. According to psychologist Paul Osterrieth, children under 5 don’t need to share things with others because they don’t understand that a game has a common goal.
However, between the ages of 6 and 7, the child begins to understand what cooperation means, so that he is able to share with others, thereby manifesting the bond.
The acceptance phase
During this phase, the child already shows that he has acquired adequate social skills. These skills or behaviors are learned through instruction, imitation, preparation and practice. It is this goal that every parent should strive to achieve with their children.
When does the egocentric stage start in children?
When does the egocentric stage start in children? According to various studies of the egocentric stage in children, the latter appears from the age of 2 – 3 years. This is because, by human nature, every person tends to be self-centered. However, a good development through education can change that.
From a very young age, a child only knows the perspective where he is the center of the world. So that makes it hard to put yourself in another person’s perspective. It also leads to the fact of not being able to express your empathy, since you do not understand reality. There are other people to share with.
Manifestations of egocentrism in children
During the egocentric stage in children, it is very common that seizures constantly occur. This is due to the lack of understanding on the part of the little ones, which causes great frustration in various situations.
Through temper tantrums and screaming, temper tantrums and even name calling, the child tries to do whatever he wants. It is therefore necessary to help them so that this anger does not become the daily bread.
How to act at the egocentric stage of children
Parents should adopt a positive attitude. It should also always be taken into account that behavioral change in children is possible. However, they must be encouraged to act consecutively as they should. To achieve the above, the following steps can be followed:
In the event that a temper tantrum arises due to egocentric attitudes in children, what should be done is not to give what the child demands in order to calm down. Also, don’t entertain him with any other alternative. Ideally, stay calm and state how things should be and do it with few words.
After the anger has passed, the child can be explained what is expected of him next time. In addition, it is essential that the family environment is calm and that serenity reigns.
The relation of complete language acquisition
The egocentric stage in children will begin to end when they fully develop language. This will start to happen after the age of 4. The reason is that children, through language, begin to socialize with others and thus begin to understand other points of view. In this way, maturity and understanding will develop.
Do not force, but encourage
Encourage but don’t force should be the motto of every parent when it comes to teaching their children the importance of sharing. Therefore, through the way parents act, we can convey to children that there are other people and that they have needs.
It is therefore essential to make the child understand that you can share things in a group, which can be interesting. This is mainly achieved through the example.
Do not resort to the obligation
Parents shouldn’t force their children to leave their toys if they don’t want to. Rather, you have to teach them how to do things. It is one thing to force and another to teach. Their behavior shouldn’t be ridiculed either. If this happens, the feeling that the child is not understood will worsen.
And these are just a few ways to act during the egocentric stage in children. The important thing is to teach calmly and by example, something parents should not take for granted in their education.
