ABSTRACT
Growth and development require much courage; worries often accompany taking new steps, although excitement may also be found in the jumps into the new. The child who is caught up in the minutiae of fear, doubt, and hesitation may be helped by the parents’ longer-term view, whose eye is on the end in sight. Other important milestones are bladder and bowel control; since the toddler years, the child has gradually been moving out of his parent’s taking care of his body to the state of being able to be in charge of his own body. The parent encourages her child’s gradual independence by slowly relinquishing different aspects of the looking after and encouraging the child to do them for himself. The learning child needs encouragement and admirations from his parent that he can let go and has let go of what the child may see as parts of himself.
