Age 0 to 7 Personality
Age 7 to 14 Intellect
The child development stages of life can set the stage for the remainder of our lives. Depending on what happens in these stages, experiences can help us or cause us troubles. We do not have to play out the tendencies and attitudes that have influenced us. We can change course and chart our own unique destiny if we want. We can also help children and teenagers to get the most out of these cycles of life.
This article on the child development stages is part of a continuing series on the Cycles of Life. People go through cycles every seven years. More about these Seven Year Cycles on other pages of this website
Let’s look at the first two stages or cycles up to 14 years old. The first cycle of life is 0 to 7: The Cycle of Personality. From age 7 to 14 we experience the Development of the Intellect.
The focus of this page on child development stages is on the inner being or soul in a physical body growing from infancy through childhood and into adolescence. This provides a deeper understating of how these childhood years influence a person throughout life both consciously and unconsciously.
Fresh Look at our Early Years and its Influence
Much has been written about the child development stages. Here we look at these cycles from an inner view point and how we can build on one cycle to the next. Most of us know that these early years have a monumental influence on later life. No matter what our early influences might have been, we can always develop to our fullest potential.
Child Development Stages
Reacting? or Being the Real You?
At our core within each of us is our good, kind, loving and wise inner being. That’s our true soul nature that shines forth when our thoughts are aligned with our true soul being.
Children easily pick up thoughts and attitudes that are not their own during their early years, especially during the cycle of 0 to 7. This holds true for adults too, but we have developed an intellectual side to help discern not-so-good influences. For example, a person can say something hurtful to another, but the receiver of that hurtful message may come to the conclusion that the messenger conveys hurt due to their own problems.
When people pick up concepts that are not their own, these outer thoughts and tendencies can show up later in life and influence us. We can react to certain events and people that consciously or unconsciously stimulate a past “blockage” area or experience.
Have you ever noticed how some individuals can trigger a positive or negative response in you? You can take on a certain attitude because of thoughts and feelings that are part of you or may have been stimulated from your earlier child development stages, especially the 0 to 7 years.
As you become more aware, you can avoid being run by the past and the outside world. You can take more control. As you do, you can help yourself and a newer generation learn to live as the good, kind, loving souls they are.
It all starts with you. The more you clarify and apply the wisdom here, the more you heal yourself and help others. You can’t give to others what you do not have. You cannot teach what you have not learned yourself.
Age 0 to 7: The Personality is Formed
Children are bundles of feelings. They are like sponges. Whatever they experience, the positive or the negative, these experiences are easily internalized and become a part of their state of mind.
You have probably observed how sensitive children are to their environment and the people who raise them. Even little events can have a big impact on a child.
Of course, small things sometimes seem like a big deal. They can influence a person more than they should. Adults are usually freer than children to deal with a negative situation. A small child will find it difficult to pack a bag and leave when family life becomes difficult.
Note: Private sessions are available where a trained ALC certified consultant can help you pinpoint the most important experiences from your past that influence you today. Negative reactions can throw you off your path until you realize what is really happening. These can include emotions, such as being fearful, feeling hurt, etc.
Concepts or Blockage Discovery Private Consultation (1002A)
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Clarifying and Healing Limiting Concepts
You can’t go back and change your childhood. As an adult, however, you can understand what is going on that has created who you are today. You can take the positives you have, and build on them.
Then, you can be an example, which is the most important way children and others learn. This is especially the case during these child development stages.
As you clarify the influences of early childhood, you can keep the “not-so-helpful” concepts and habits you learned from tripping you up. As you heal these concepts, you can avoid passing them along to others.
“Visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations” — Numbers 14:18, New American Standard Bible
Traumatic First Cycle
If children have great difficulties in their early years, these experiences can manifest later, especially in their teens or 20s. They can even wind up in jail, committing suicide, or caught up with confusion and chaotic lifestyles.
A Kinder and more Caring Early Environment
If children feel love and nurtured in their early years, they will feel more connected with their good, kind, true inner being in adulthood. They are better able to unfold their own wisdom and deeper insights.
If you have been around children, especially ones raised in a healthy, positive and encouraging environment, you will probably notice their natural wisdom. You can often wonder, where did they learn that? Actually, they do not have to learn this from the outside world; they have it within.
While young children may not have developed their intellectual nature to understand the outer world or to be articulate communicators, in many ways and because they have not yet been so influenced by the outer world, they can more easily be the true genius they are. We can learn from them!
Setting the Stage for a Better Life
In the cycle of 7 to 14 years, you can help children maintain their natural connection with their true inner being as they unfold their intellectual nature.
As you clarify these cycles in your own life, you encourage others to have a well balanced and fulfilling life. It’s about blending one’s inner being with the outer world.
This balance is also a key to avoiding or dealing with major challenges. Balance means having the direction in life that is best for you and your own answers when they are needed.
Nature verses Nurture
Sometimes children come from a positive, abundant and loving environment yet still have many troubles to overcome later. Deep scars from the past may need to be addressed. Other times, children are raised in a difficult home, but despite this, they do well in life.
The continual debate in science about the influence of the environment we are raised in verses our innate nature being the most important will continue for many years.
The outside world can have a major influence on children, but their inner nature is important too. They can have the inner strength and clarity to overcome adversity. They can follow their inner senses and not let early difficulties in these child development stages throw them off course.
That ability to follow our inner feelings gives us hope because, no matter what the trama, we can overcome adversity, both from our childhood and beyond it. Sometimes we can use a little help though!
Age 7 to 14:
Developing the Intellect
The years of 7 to 14 are an important time for our intellectual development. During this stage children ask many questions as they unfold their understanding and intellectual nature.
They learn about the world so they can adapt, earn a living, and be involved in society. It is important for young people to understand their feelings because this is how they can tap into their inner being and begin to clarify their purpose and direction in life.
If outer education is over emphasized as in too much studying without play and other activities, it can cause them to be intellectually out of balance. This means a child will tend to look more to the outer world instead of to their good, kind, loving self and true genius. He or she may also escape from their inner feelings with excessive video games, overdoing the party life or other self-defeating habits.
Keeping the inner connection
If you as a child experienced a relaxed, loving and positive environment during these child development stages, you may have a greater sense of your true inner being.
You will have a clearer understanding of who you really are and what you are here to do. From this inner pivot, you harness meaningful insights about your outer world.
Balance is important in this cycle as through all of life. Balance is about learning how to “play the game” of the outside world while staying true to one’s inner being. All the help needed is available to you as you tap into your inner senses and inner guidance. Learn more as you read more pages of this website and see the programs available.
A key is to unfold this intellectual nature while maintaining an inner connection with the feeling nature. This way teenagers can use their inner wisdom and know the direction in life that is best. They will find ways to bring out their inner dreams and desires and make them a reality.
