ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how the older toddler develops and matures in ways that prepare him for the next phase of his childhood. As the child moves towards his third birthday, imaginative play also becomes a place where he can learn about his own and others' minds. Very young children believe that their thoughts and others' thoughts accurately mirror the external world. They are unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Thoughts and feelings are therefore potentially very frightening to a young child. With a growing awareness of others' minds and the beginnings of a capacity to empathize, the toddler begins to experience the early stages of a sense of guilt, and a sense of what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. The primary motivation for this, the precursor to a sense of conscience, is the fear of the loss of love of his parents.
