Child Development Terminology

adjective relating to or characteristic of a baby; childish or immature

• The child's babyish behavior showed that he was still very young.
• She still has a babyish voice even though she's in her twenties.
• Stop acting so babyish, grow up already!
• His babyish tantrums were getting on everyone's nerves.

noun habit - a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up

• It is important to break any bad habit that may be hindering your productivity.
• I know it's a bad habit, but I can't help biting my nails when I'm nervous.
• Eating junk food late at night is such a bad habit, bro.
• Procrastination is a bad habit that can slowly chip away at your success.

noun the time at which a person usually goes to bed

• It is important to establish a consistent bedtime routine for children to ensure they get enough rest.
• I like to read a book before bedtime to help me relax.
• Let's have a slumber party and stay up past our bedtime!
• The bedtime of the project is approaching, we need to finish it soon.

noun a young human being below the age of puberty or below the legal age of majority

verb There are no applicable verbs for the word 'child' in this context

adjective of, relating to, or characteristic of a child

• The child displayed exceptional talent in mathematics at a young age.
• The kid is really good at math for their age.
• That little one is a math whiz!
• The child's mind was like a sponge, absorbing knowledge effortlessly.

adjective nervous or unable to sit still

adverb in a fidgety manner

• The student appeared fidgety during the exam, constantly shifting in their seat.
• I always get fidgety when I have to wait in long lines.
• She was so fidgety before the big presentation, couldn't sit still for a second.
• The uncertainty of the situation made her feel fidgety, like she was on edge.

noun a fully developed adult

adjective matured or developed in a physical, mental, or emotional way

• As I have grown up, I have come to appreciate the importance of hard work and dedication.
• I can't believe how fast time has flown by; it feels like just yesterday we were kids and now we're all grown up.
• I feel like such a grown-up now that I have my own apartment and bills to pay.
• Her ideas have really grown up over the years, becoming more sophisticated and nuanced.

noun the quality or state of being unwilling to be taught or disciplined

• The teacher struggled to manage the student's indocility in the classroom.
• The kid's indocility is really getting on my nerves.
• I can't stand your indocility, dude.
• Her indocility towards authority was like a wild horse refusing to be tamed.

noun the state or period of being an infant; very early stage of development

• During infancy, babies rely heavily on their caregivers for all their needs.
• I don't remember much from my infancy, but my parents tell me I was a very calm baby.
• Back in the infancy days of the internet, we had to use dial-up to connect to the web.
• The project is still in its infancy, so we need to give it more time to develop fully.

adjective relating to or characteristic of infants or infancy; childish

• The psychologist noted that the patient's behavior was indicative of infantile tendencies.
• She always teases him about his infantile sense of humor.
• Stop acting so infantile, grow up!
• The company's decision to cut corners was seen as infantile by their competitors.

noun a person's early years of life, typically considered as a period of innocence and vulnerability

• Children at a tender age require special care and attention.
• Kids when they are young need a lot of love and care.
• Babies at a young age need to be looked after carefully.
• The project was still in its tender age, just beginning to take shape.

noun a verb used to describe the action of walking in a slow, unsteady manner, often associated with young children

• The children began to toddle along the path, holding hands.
• Let's just toddle along and see where the day takes us.
• We decided to just toddle along and chill at the park.
• She watched the old man toddle along, lost in his thoughts.

noun A young child who is just beginning to walk

• The toddler was carefully supervised by the daycare staff.
• The toddler was running around the playground with a big smile on their face.
• That toddler is a little ball of energy, always keeping everyone on their toes.
• Watching the toddler explore the world with wonder is like seeing life through fresh eyes.

noun a person in the early period of life or existence

adjective describing a person, animal, or thing as having lived or existed for only a short time

• The young candidate showed great promise during the interview.
• The young kid is always causing trouble in the neighborhood.
• That young dude is totally crushing it on the basketball court.
• The young tree swayed gently in the breeze, symbolizing new beginnings.

noun a loud vocal expression of strong emotion, typically pain or sorrow

pronoun a word that can function by itself as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse (e.g., I, you) or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse (e.g., she, it)

• Some parents believe in the cry it out method as a way to teach babies to self-soothe.
• I tried the cry it out technique with my baby last night and it was tough.
• If you want your baby to sleep through the night, you might have to cry it out a bit.
• Sometimes you just need to cry it out and let your emotions out.

adjective describing something that causes distraction or interrupts focus

• The distractive elements in the presentation hindered the audience's ability to focus on the main points.
• All the distractive noise in the room made it hard to concentrate on my work.
• Stop being so distractive, I'm trying to study here!
• Her bright personality was like a distractive light in the midst of darkness.

adjective a descriptive word that modifies a noun or pronoun, indicating a specific quality or characteristic

• The child displayed bratty behavior during the meeting with the principal.
• My little sister can be so bratty when she doesn't get her way.
• Stop being so bratty and just do your chores.
• Her bratty attitude was like nails on a chalkboard, grating on everyone's nerves.

noun a fear or aversion to children

• Pedophobia is a serious fear of children that can greatly impact a person's daily life.
• I don't understand why some people have pedophobia, kids are just little humans.
• Pedophobia is just plain silly, kids are so much fun to be around.
• Her pedophobia was like a barrier preventing her from connecting with the younger generation.

verb A verb is a word that expresses an action or a state of being. In this case, 'abandons' is a verb that indicates the action of leaving someone or something behind.

• The company abandons its old manufacturing plant to move to a more modern facility.
• He always abandons his plans at the last minute.
• She abandons her diet every weekend and indulges in junk food.
• When faced with challenges, she never abandons hope and keeps pushing forward.