Childhood is the state of being a child which usually refers to the period between infancy and adolescence. The Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act, 1986 states, “a child is a person who has not completed 14 years of age.

Characteristics of Childhood

  1. During childhood, there is slow physical growth as compared to the infancy period. However, in girls, it is relatively faster.
  2. During the childhood stage, the child’s audio and visual senses develop completely by the age of 8 and 9.
  3. This is also the period when children tend to develop various interests but they do not necessarily have to be permanent interests.
  4. Childhood is also the period when children witness some rapid changes in their social  behavior.
  5. According to Piaget, childhood is a period when children also develop the sense of what is right and what is wrong through adults.
  6. Childhood is the stage when there is a rapid development of memory and imagination as well.
  7. During the childhood stage, children start differentiating between males and females. Boys start playing together and girls start playing together.
  8. In this stage, children try to imitate their elders and develop interest in collecting things.
  9. During childhood, children are curious and therefore, they ask a lot of questions and feel satisfied once they receive an answer.
  10. A child’s vocabulary increases during 8-12 years. Their speech gets fluent and thus, there is improvement in language.
20211125 154837
Types of Development Skills in Childhood