The Secret World of Children
A child is defined as someone who has not yet fully grown up and has not developed their own identity. As such, they are immature, inexperienced, and not yet capable of making their own choices. Consider your 30-year-old son, who is throwing temper tantrums and demanding that you take him to the doctor. A child in political matters is a person who has no knowledge of politics or who lacks the will to make decisions.
In the preschool years, children begin to develop self-regulation. Their ability to describe their feelings and describe their experiences is greatly enhanced. They learn that their actions have consequences and that they can’t always express their opinions directly. They can also resolve some conflicts on their own without adult intervention, and they have more understanding of social and moral values than their parents. In addition, children are more intuitive than their parents and can be encouraged to play cooperatively with other children.
As early as infancy, children can develop implicit theories and conceptual systems. They use these theories to predict, explain, and change things. This early thinking is reflected in the way children make decisions. In addition to defining themselves as individuals, children are developing theories about the world around them. This is what is called the “secret world” of children. This culture is best seen in urban, working-class industrial districts where children have less exposure to the outside world.