As a child moves from being a toddler through preschool to school-aged, they are faced with many challenges to overcome. Development growth, which is subject to the child’s environment and sphere of influential people and pressures in their lives, is directly shaped and guided by their family’s culture, religion and value/belief system.
The differences are seen in how each developmental phase interacts and responds within each health assessment pattern. The toddler and preschool child need more structure and routine, whether it’s brushing their teeth, eating or bedtime rituals. School-aged children take the values and learned behaviors of being a toddler and build upon them as they move toward building their own self-concept and sense of identity. There are similarities as the children strive for autonomy and the ability to express themselves verbally. As the child continues to learn, they will develop an understanding of good behaviors and bad behaviors