GCSE HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE: The Six life stages
Infancy (1 – 2 years)
Physical changes
Physical changes
By the end of early of childhood, a huge change will have taken place in intellectual ability. A child will no longer just experience the world through their senses, but will be able to begin to think about things, even if this mainly only from their own viewpoint – which is called ‘egocentrism’.
Physical changes
Social changes
Physical changes
Intellectual changes
Physical changes
Physical changes
Physical changes
- Gross motor skills develop – the infant can start to control the larger muscles in its body
- Fine motor skills develop – the infant can start to control the smaller muscles in its body
- By the ages of two a infant can usually do things such as walk, hold a spoon and point
- A newborn infant tends to respond to the world about them through their senses
- By the age of two, its ability to think gas developed hugely: it will be using language and have the ability to grasp some basic concept.
- The most important part of intellectual development for infancy is the development of language
- During the first two years of life, an infant ‘bonds’ with those who care for it.
- An infant needs to form a strong attachment with its main carer, and to receive love and affection in a positive way.
- This bond helps to create a sense of security and, influences the infants development
- The early relationships formed in infancy act as a model for future relationships
- By the age of two, an infant has learned a lot about how to interact with others
- At first the main relationship are with the primary carers but then extends to brothers and sisters, wider family members and others the infant may meet.
- In early infancy, the infant plays alone (solitary play) and is not able to think of others.
- By the age of two, the infant can play alongside others (parallel play) and the process of being able to share starts to develop
Physical changes
- By the age of 5 most children can walk up stairs unaided, can hold a crayon or a pencil to draw or write.
- By the ages of 8 children learn to catch and throw, develop a good sense of balance and can use a bat and ball
- Growth spurt
- Run
- Skip
- Balance
- Hand-eye coordination
- Catch and throw
- Fine motor skill development
By the end of early of childhood, a huge change will have taken place in intellectual ability. A child will no longer just experience the world through their senses, but will be able to begin to think about things, even if this mainly only from their own viewpoint – which is called ‘egocentrism’.
- Communication and Language development improve greatly – can now use full sentences, can count and start to sequence and order events
- Learn to read and write
- Begin to organise and classify objects and thoughts
- Begin to work out solutions to problems
- Children learn by asking questions and by watching the behaviour of others – it is important children have a positive role model
- Will experience a range of new feelings and will have to learn how to handle them
- They have learnt to work with others – now know how to play and work with others
- Learn how to share and cooperate – experiences emotions such as love, hate, fear and jealousy
- Development of close relationships
- Becoming more independent
- Development of personality
- Listening to others
- Beginning to empathise
- Children still very self-centred - Still has temper tantrums if cannot have own way
- Development of friendships
- Common to have gender based friendships
- Social play – cooperative play begins
- Listening to others
Physical changes
- Growth spurt
- Both sexes capable of reproduction
- Secondary sexual characteristics
- Both sexes – change in body shape and growth of body hair
- Girls – menstrual cycle, growth of breasts
- Boys – penis growth, sperm production
- An ability to think about concepts and ideas - Abstract thinking
- Can think in a more logical way to solve problems
- Ability to empathise – see from different peoples perspectives
- Ability to remember large amounts of information
- Begins to question the world and develop own views
- Mood swings
- Conflicts with parents and other adults
- Desire for independence
- Positive and negative emotions
Self-image + self-esteem = self-concept
Social changes
- Importance of ‘peer group’ relationships
- Development of sexual and intimate relationships
- Friendships with both sexes
- Wider social circle
- Influence of peer group pressure
Physical changes
- Reaches maturity
- In the prime of life
- Fit and healthy
Intellectual changes
- Qualifications for career achieved
- Continued professional development
- Still learning new things
- Development of wisdom
- Some people often reach their productive peak at work, they often get promoted to jobs where specialist training or education is needed
- Some people choose to follow a further education course to develop skills needed for a chosen profession (e.g. lawyer, doctors etc)
- Some people return to education to achieve their full potential
- Close intimate and sexual relationships firmly established for many
- Sometimes this can lead to people choosing to cohabit, marry or go through a civil ceremony
- Steady relationships create a sense of security and allows them to give and receive love
- Identity clearer and more established
- Parenthood and bonding with children for many – gives a sense of purpose and gives life added meaning
- Security for many
- Established relationships
- Closer circle of friends than in adolescence
- Less hectic social life with parenthood responsibilities
- Social life and friendships often focused on working life and colleagues
Physical changes
- Aging process begins to take an effect on the human body.
- Physical capabilities begin to decline – skin loses elasticity, wrinkles appear more obvious, muscle tone slackens, senses become less precise
- Hearing, sight, taste etc.
- Menopause
- Hormonal changes for both men and women
- Women produce less oestrogen and men less testosterone. These hormonal changes mean that women will go through the menopause and in men, sperm production decreases.
- Weight increase
- Memory still generally good
- Short term memory not so quick
- New learning can still occur
- Decisions in life often based on wisdom
- Due to the ageing process, a person’s memory may not be quite as quick as it used to be
- Mid-life crisis for many
- Development of uncertainty
- Security in identity for many
- Love of grandchildren and pleasure from spending time with them
- Independence again for many as their children become mature and leave home
- Loss of own parents and some friends
- Realisation that no longer young
- Growing awareness of own mortality
- Social life less intense for many
- Social life often involves less physical activity
- Wider social life if early retirement is achieved
- Try new activities and meet new people
- If children and have grown up and left home, the parents have less responsibility and more money to spend on themselves – so they can go out more to socialise with friends.
- Some parents have to support children financially through further education (University)
Physical changes
- Loss of skin elasticity
- Joints stiffen
- Muscle wastage
- Bones more brittle
- As a result stiffen up and begin to loose height
- Changes to eyesight and hearing that started in middle adulthood continue
- A regular exercise pattern and good diet can help people to improve their muscle tone, maintain joint flexibility and strength their bones.
- Many people at this stage in their lives are very active intellectually, enjoying activities such as reading, problem solving and keeping up with the news.
- Wisdom achieved from life experience
- Time to learn new things as retirement has taken place
- Stimulation to learn as physical activities are often not so time consuming
- Time for reflection on achievements
- Loss of partner due to death
- loss of friends due to death
- Emotionally attached to family
- Proud of family achievements especially grandchildren
- Reflective on life
- Loss of independence for many
- More time to socialise with friends
- New friends made
- Trying of new activities and meeting new people as time is available
- More time spent at home as the ageing process takes place
- feel sad /unhappy
- feel depressed
- overwhelming sadness, with lots of crying/ grieving/tearful
- tiredness or exhaustion
- anger, for example towards the person who died, their illness or God
- guilt, for example guilt about feeling angry, about something you said or didn’t say, or about not being able to stop your loved one dying
- Forget where they put things or need to be somewhere which is poor short-term memory
- Keep referring to events happening long ago because long-term memory is clearer and lasts longer
- Has poor concentration therefore can’t remember complex instructions
- Imagines things therefore fills memory gaps with something else
- Has a poor appetite
- Less hygienic
- Less exercise as no desire to go out
- Stressed with physical effects on heart rate and blood pressure
- Loss/gain weight
- Doctor - They can help put you in contact with your local bereavement services. Some people turn to alcohol or drugs during difficult times so they need help cutting down on alcohol.
- Counsellor - A bereavement counsellor can give you time and space to talk about your feelings, including the person who has died, your relationship, family, work, fears and the future.
