There are situations when the parent thinks that his child is selfish, that he does not think at all about how his actions affect the parents. A simple example, a mother scolds her daughter for getting into the mud, although there was a dry path nearby: “Why did you climb there? All the boots were dirtied, now I have to clean them. Do you think a little of me?”(example real, literally on days proceeded past this the scene). In such situations, some adults even have a feeling that the child is doing something out of spite or harm.
Let’s dig deeper and try to understand why this is happening.
Terrific child psychologist Jean piaget conducted a series of experiments that demonstrate that a child thinks not like an adult. All his experiments are very interesting, very revealing and very ethical, unlike the experiment of John Watson, which I wrote about here. Any parent can repeat piaget’s experiments, because it is very exciting to look at how your child thinks.
- Three mountains.
Three models of different mountains were placed on the table. The mountains were different, one was a house, the other ran down the river, they also differed in height. The child was given photos of mountains in turn and asked to choose those photos that depict the mountains as he sees them. Most often, the child chose correctly. After that, on the other side of the layout, the doll was put and asked to choose those photos that depict the mountains as the doll sees them. Children under 6 years old chose those photos in which the mountains are visible as it is visible to them, and not the doll. Thus was revealed the phenomenon of children’s egocentrism. The child sees this world only from his point of view, he is up to a certain age simply because of the peculiarities of his thinking can not stand on the point of view of another. Ask show his child where have him leftist hand, and where right, and then stand up contrary and ask show your leftist and right hand, child will show contrary, he will look with its perspective. Gradually, when the baggage of his knowledge is replenished, when he learns to realize his self and his place in the world around him, he gets rid of this phenomenon. This, incidentally, very promotes role-playing game, which teaches to accept on themselves different perspective, try themselves in different hypostases, seek themselves and their place in world. - Reversibility or preservation.
The child was shown two identical objects: plasticine balls, glasses of water, beads strung on threads, etc.and asked if they were the same.
- Two plasticine balls. The question is: “Where there is more clay?»
“Two glasses of water.” Question: “Where is more water?»
“Two strings, with beads strung on them. Question: “Where are more beads?» - Two ropes that lie straight.
The child replied that all objects were the same. After that, before his eyes, one of the objects was changed, the plasticine ball was flattened, the water was poured into another vessel, and the beads were placed on a thread to increase the distance between them, and one of the ropes was bent. After that the question was repeated. The children replied that there was more plasticine in the flattened ball, more water in the narrower vessel, and more beads where they were placed, and that the rope was longer than the straight one.
This phenomenon has been called “reversibility or conservation.” It is only when the actions the child can imagine in his mind that he begins to realize that changes in objects do not always lead to changes in all his parameters.
- Animism.
Child ask questions: “Why wind blows”, “Why machine goes to” and camping on D. in most his children give answers, in which endow inanimate objects consciousness and feelings. For example, “the Wind blows because it is angry”, ” the Car goes because it is in a hurry to visit my grandmother.” Such universal animation also occurs at the age of 6-7 years. Then comes the transition stage, when the child can give both logical explanations and animalistic. From piaget’s point of view, by the age of 11-12, children successfully overcome all the phenomena of children’s thinking.
By the way, an interesting fact. Such experiments, which were conducted on children from orphanages show that the phenomena of piaget they overcome later than in children who are brought up in the family.
It is very important to understand why a child behaves this way and not otherwise and help him to enter into this world, master it, enjoy his success and help cope with difficulties.
Do your children have piaget phenomena?