Case Study #1
Infancy

You are friends with the parents of a 9-month-old infant. When their child was born, the mother decided to take a year off to be a full time parent and primary caregiver. The child's mother will be going back to work in 3 months, and the infant will have to be cared for by someone else. This is a given that they are unable to change.
Their baby seems alert and interested in the things going on around it. It is always reaching out to grasp everything in sight. It seems persistent in having its way (like mouthing something that they don't want it to put in its mouth), and cries loudly when frustrated. Their baby tends to be fussy and difficulty to comfort when upset. It also has started to show signs of distress whenever it encounters a new person or a new situation.
Your friends want to minimize the problem of separation anxiety (for themselves, as well as their baby). They also are concerned about how the infant will react to the daily separation from its mom. Will a new caregiver interfere with the emotional bonds between mother and child, or father and child? Discuss this situation in relation to development in infancy, and decide what specific actions the parents could take.

• Sign up for a group in the case study 1 discussion area.
• Please create a google/northseattle document to answer the case study completly on your own.
• Share this completed documente with your team and the instructor (bholt@northseattle).
• Create a consensus paper (one of you should create a 'group' document and share it with everyone).
• Once you have completed the consensus paper, share it with your instructor.
  

1. In each case, the first issue you will write about will be an Erikson's stage of psychosocial development. Don't choose previous stages. Find and read about the appropriate Eriksonian stage in you book. Do not spend energy summarizing Erikson's stages in your paper (although you should be able to.) Once you understand the stage, explain why this stage is relevant to the discussion case, other than simply referring to the age of the child. The stage might be important to consider because of the unique circumstances of the case, or because of what the person does that shows he/she is struggling to resolve the crisis of development articulated by Erikson.

2. In addition to an Erikson stage of development, use your textbook to identify one other important developmental problem/issue that specifically applies to the case, or is clearly illustrated by the case. Only pick one other issue in addition to an Erikson stage. Be specific! "Psychosocial development" is too broad and general, as would "family relationships" because every case has a psychosocial development issue and a family relationship, so you must be specific while using your own words. Don't re-define the issue (that's already done in the case). You have limited space to convey a large amount of information, so you should spend your time and energy on relating the text to the case.

3. Suggest actions that would help with the case. The 2nd half of your paper will be to provide ideas in dealing with the developmental issue based on the analysis of the first part of your analysis of the developmental issues and stages relevant to the case comprising the first part of your paper. Each developmental issue (including Erikson's) is a problem, or crisis, that can be handled in a variety of ways with specific actions. Self-esteem might be an issue, so a suggested action would address how to deal with someone's self-esteem. Be specific and NOT vague. "Love the child more" does not cut it.

4. Once you have suggested an action, you must explain how the suggestion will effect the situation. You must spell it out and not rely on my powers of mind reading (however powerful they are) to help you.

4a. If you were the parent in this situation, would you prefer that your child be cared for: a) by another family member who isn't working, b) by a baby sitter or nanny who comes to your home, c) by a neighbor or friend, who your child is taken to their home, or d) in a certified day care facility? Explain your preference.

4b. Explain how your preference above will relate to Erikson's 2nd stage of psychosocial development.

5. Effects on Attachment: Will a new caregiver interfere with the attachment between parents and child? After reading ch7 in your text, what would you tell your friends? Do you agree with your text? Why or why not?