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 Child
Psychology
Child
psychology does not really refer just to one area of expertise, but to
several. It encompasses both cognitive psychology of children, as well
as developmental and therapeutic psychology. As a graduate student in
child psychology, I can tell you that this is one of the most exciting
fields to be in to, because the possible career paths are endless, and
the subject matter is just so darn fascinating. Basically, child
psychology encompasses not just how children think, but how their
brains develop, how they see the world around them, and how they learn
to respond to new experiences, both good and bad.
One of the most exciting things about child psychology is working as a
therapist for adolescents or children. This is one of the most crucial
times in a persons life, and when children undergo bad experiences, or
react in unhealthy ways to their surroundings, it can do damage which
will affect them for life. As a child psychologist, you would have the
opportunity to help children deal with all types of emotional and real
world issues, from the psychological effects of divorce, to the
psychological effects of sexual abuse. Although this job is not for
everyone – there is nothing more terrible than hearing about
the suffering of a child, except of course being that child –
the opportunity to use child psychology to make a lasting difference in
the life of a young person is something that some of us just can not
pass up.
Of course, child psychology is used by more than just professionals.
Parents, teachers, school counselors, and even law enforcement people
can benefit from a knowledge of child psychology. For parents, this is
especially true. Many parents with the best of intentions unwittingly
screw up their children irrevocably through their inadequate grasp of
child psychology. They might do it by inadvertently rewarding behavior
that should be punished, or by punishing behavior that should be
rewarded, by being too distant from their child, or by not giving him
or her, the space that a young person needs to grow. Many teachers,
similarly, can do horrors if they do not really grasp the intricacies
of child psychology. They may cause one kid to act out as the class
clown, another to become a bully, and still a third to shut down and
not respond to classes any more. This is why anyone who deals with
children must understand child psychology!
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