Karitza Justiniano Project 1, PSY E202 March 1, 2011

I’d like to introduce you to Katelyn Lyanne Martinez. She is a three year old little girl who lives in a house with her mother, father, and older brother. I have chosen to observe Katelyn because she is my daughter. My observation takes place over the course of her life. For this assignment, I will focus on Katelyn today but will revert to previous experiences for specific developmental milestones. There is a seven year difference between Katelyn and her brother, Krystian. This difference has greatly influenced her motor skill development. I cannot say that this was the sole reason for her quick learning, but for as long as I can remember she was trying to keep up with her brother. She crawled by seven months and pulled herself up in the crib and playpen by nine months. Katelyn walked before her first birthday. If Krystian walked into her room, she pulled herself up and cried to get out to follow him around. Mimicking and modeling her older brother has also increased her vocabulary exponentially. She has been speaking in complete sentences since before the age of 2. Katelyn is very animated and uses her hands and expressions to emphasize her feelings or point of view. People thought she was unnaturally small in size because they assumed she was older. Her social development, although not below average, has yet to be fully tested. At three, she has not been placed in an environment where she had to be on her own with a stranger. She has had the same babysitter since she was six weeks old. Other than that, she spends time with aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins. Our family is large and there is never a need to step outside the family for childcare. Katelyn has never expressed any anxiety when separated from me. I will be honest however, I do not know how she will react when she starts school. She makes good eye contact and has no trouble making friends.

My daughter has always been very independent. As previously stated, she was up and about at an early age. She was completely potty trained at the age of 19 months. She has fed herself, never cared for the bottle, and has a strong “I can do it” mentality. She wants to brush her own teeth and changes her own clothes a few times a day on her own. During bath time, I am pretty much there to oversee the process, it seems! She can (and does) get completely dressed on her own. We joke with my son that she could help him move a little faster when we have plans to go out as a family. Her bubbly personality makes it easy for her to speak with people and she is often the center of attention at get-togethers. She is however, very dominant and can be very intimidating to children her age. Katelyn tends to be friends with children who are equally aggressive. While difficult and stubborn, I appreciate her strong personality. My daughter is incredibly independent and self assured. She is not a follower, instead forever the leader and initiator. Katelyn is not a shy child. She is a very curious little girl who has no problem expressing that curiosity. She is constantly asking questions and tries to fully grasp a concept. I do have a few concerns about Katelyn’s emotional development. As I stated she is very aggressive. She isn’t violent but demanding; almost to a fault. She is also very aware of boys. While pretty common, I do not know of many 3 year olds who run around calling boys her “babe”. She plays pretend on her toy phone and is always talking to one of her “babes”, ordering him to come pick her up and take her to the park! I do hope this demanding behavior lightens up a little as she matures, otherwise I feel bad for any future boyfriends Katelyn may have! I think this behavior stems from the fact that Katelyn spends a lot of time around adults. I believe, like Vygotsky, that her personality and behavior will change once she is in school and around more children her age.