There are numerous theories of development. Several schools of thought pervade western culture. These include Jean Piaget, Eric Erikson, nativist theory, and empirist theory. We will discuss these briefly to give you a background in development. I think Piaget and Erikson make the most sense. This is not to say that there are not numerous other schools of thought regarding the development of a human being.

They are those that are routinely taught in psychology 101 classes. Why read about these theories? Well, it gives you insight into why (possibly) children at differing ages act the way they do. Is you 2 year old not listening to your instructions or is it that he/she has not yet developed the cognitive ability to follow nebulous rules. Do things need to be more concrete? Why does your teenager think friends are more important than family? Does that drive you nuts? Well, it's actually a normal developmental stage and a very important part of forming his/her personality. In understanding development, we as parents can gain insight (and hopefully sanity and restraint) when dealing with our kids.