Youth Development Stages

It is generally understood that a young person travels through several stages of development as they progress through their early years. It is also generally understood that the terms used for these stages are: Infancy, Youth, and Young Adult. Below I breakdown each stage and why it's important to a individual's development. All thoughts and comments are welcomed.

Infancy (ages 0-4)

This stage of development is considered the foundational stage, and is one of the single most important stages of a child’s development. During this stage, a child is born into the world and is introduced to the basic operations of what we call life. Each child is expected to build an educational foundation of fundamental skills and concepts that will be built upon and used every day for their entire life.

Each child develops at their own pace and in their own ways. For this reason, they have several outlets to learn what they need know, such as daycare facilities, nannies, stay-at-home parents, and ad hoc educational programming. All education during this stage is extremely vital, and any failure to educate places a child at a severe learning disadvantage moving forward through later years.

Interesting fact: Most daycares in America are structured to serve individuals between the ages of birth and four years old; and sometimes five years old.

Youth (ages 5-14)

This stage is when things really heat up. A child is generally introduced to a structured learning system and will encounter various aspects of life that will work to shape how they think, act, and look. Each child is expected to utilize the skills learned in previous years to build a substance library that will be continuously referenced and added to as they progress through their educational years. This library is generally populated from information and experiences received in schools, their home, communities in which they live, and places they frequent on a normal basis. For this reason, it is absolutely vital to ensure the child is provide the right information and experiences, as this stage plays a major part in who they will become in years to follow. 

Interesting fact: The typical working family works Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and sleeps from 11:00 pm to 6:00 am on the same days; which leaves less than eight hours to interact with the child(ren) at home.

Young Adult (ages 15-25)

This stage of development is considered the life learning stage and has the most impact in determining who the child will become in later years. During this stage an individual builds upon the substance library developed during the youth stage and substantially uses it to express their desires and ambitious. Essentially, the individual is introduced to specialized skills and life encounters that will guide their decision-making in selecting a profession, starting a family, and living-life.

This stage is the make it or break it stage for their youthful years, and if poorly executed the individual may not reach their full potential during their early working years.

Interesting facts: The relationships an individual builds during this age range is equally important as the formalized education he/she obtains.