A pediatric nurse is evaluating a 4-year-old child during a routine health maintenance visit. The parents report several observations about the child's recent behavior. Which of the following parental reports should the nurse recognize as expected developmental characteristics for a child of this age? Select all that apply.
- "My child insists on wearing a bandage over a tiny scratch even after it has stopped bleeding."Answer
- "My child believes that being mad at their little sister caused her to trip and scrape her knee."Answer
- C"My child plays right next to other children at the park but doesn't actually interact or share toys with them."
- D"My child understands that water poured from a short, wide cup into a tall, thin glass is still the same amount."
- "My child constantly asks 'why' and 'how' questions about everything they see in the clinic."Answer
- F"My child becomes inconsolable and throws a temper tantrum every time I leave the room."
Answer
The expected developmental characteristics for a 4-year-old include insisting on wearing bandages for minor scratches, exhibiting magical thinking, and constantly asking 'why' and 'how' questions.
A 4-year-old child is in the preschool stage of development. Expected characteristics include a strong fear of bodily injury (leading to a reliance on bandages), magical thinking (believing thoughts cause events), and significant curiosity (frequent 'why' questions) indicative of Erikson's Initiative vs. Guilt stage.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Developmental Stages and Transitions
Estimated Time:1m 30s