ABSTRACT
The third year of life is the last of three decisive years where the foundations of the personality, deep structure of the psyche, and model for perceiving the world are all formed. Recognition of the great significance of the first three years of life did not begin with Freud: Charles Darwin already was a proponent of this view. The chapter provides insight into several dimensions of development in the third year of life: acquirement of language, toilet training: shame and induced shame, sexual identity and oedipal fantasies, sibling rivalry and theories on birth, development of a conscience and childhood anxieties. It turns to the development of Kelly and Max, who were studied within the framework of the infant observation and follow-up research studies. In her third year, Kelly's parents—by divorced—had developed a routine for her care. Kelly spent the night every other weekend at her father's, who had set up a room for her.
