Childhood is a wonderful period in human life, in which the personality of an individual is not yet spoilt by the diversity of the world around them, and therefore the thoughts and ideas that come into the mind of a child, most often pure and naive. A small child interacts with the environment around them to learn new skills, repeat the most exciting actions, or take care of nature. Nevertheless, the child can also cause harm to plants or pets, which is apparently due to personal and family characteristics of upbringing or internal motives for destruction. In this work, an observation of a young child was conducted to determine the effect nature and nurture have on the preschool child.
The three-year-old Tim is alone in a room filled with toys and furniture. The boy is confused since he just played dice with his mother, but she suddenly left and said nothing. Tim does try to repeat after his mother: the boy gets awkward on his feet and goes towards the door where his mother went out. The preschooler is confused because the door is closed, and after a few seconds of pause, Tim returns to the middle of the room and begins to study the boxes inside the closet. Tim knows for sure that he is not allowed to open the drawers, but he keeps doing this since he thinks that no one can see him. When his mother comes back to the room, Tim starts crying.
In the scenario described, one can notice the competition between the two foundations of human development: nature and nurture. Caring and affection are laid down as a natural instinct, characteristic of any family (“Nature vs. nurture theory,” 2019).
With his mother gone, Tim felt alone and in danger. The boy began to understand that the mother with whom he had just played had left without reason, and it was unclear when she would come back. This behavior is very similar to what can be seen in small chicks: having lost its mother, they scream and suffer. As soon as the mother left her son, Tim was emotionally depressed because he felt lost and in danger. Then, the cubs understand that they are helpless to take care of its. Nevertheless, over time, there comes an understanding of what to survive: to find resources, to provide leisure time. Apparently, the subsequent pause in the child’s behavior meant switching stimuli, and Tim decided to break the established rules. This phenomenon is no longer a manifestation of natural qualities since the ban can be classified as a social framework for nurture. Deprived of care, the boy decided to satisfy his curiosity, knowing that he would be punished if caught. This is what happened: when the mother returned to the room, there was an emotional crisis in the child’s consciousness, as he understood the cause and effect of his own actions.
Reference
Nature vs. nurture theory: Is it in our genes or our environment? (2019). Medicine Net. Web.