Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Here is what parents need to know
The initial years of a child's life are very important for his or her overall health and development. Parents need to ensure kid’s social, emotional and educational needs are met during this phase to lay a strong foundation for the rest of their lives. But the question is what parents should do exactly to ensure healthy development among children? There are many theories about healthy development and how to care for young children. One of the models for child happens to be Maslow’s ’s hierarchy of needs.
American humanist and psychologist Abraham Maslow introduced his concept of a hierarchy of needs for the first time in a 1943 paper named "A Theory of Human Motivation" and his subsequent book Motivation and Personality. According to this theory, human beings are born with an innate desire for self-actualization, that is, an inborn will to be what they want to be. However, in order to achieve this ultimate goal, quite a few basic needs must be fulfilled. These needs include food, safety, love, and self-esteem.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a pyramid-like structure consisting of five key necessities: Physiological needs, Safety, Social needs, Esteem, Self-actualization. Ensuring these necessities will help your child develop and evolve. As a parent, you need to understand these stages of human needs. Here is a low-down on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
Physiological needs
All the essential things a person needs to survive comes under this category. The food we eat, The water we drink, the clothes we wear, the house we live in are classified as physiological needs. These needs are the most basic for any human to survive. A person's motivation at this level is derived from his or her instinct to survive.
Safety needs
Safety or security needs emphasize a person’s necessity to feel safe and secure in their life and surroundings. This is where the need for law and order stems from. Safety and security have different dimensions to them which include protection from violent conditions, health threats, economic instability, so on and so forth. Additionally, an individual needs economic safety to stay competitive and thrive in modern societies. This raises the need for job security, stability income level, and savings.
Social needs
This stage of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs includes love, acceptance, and belonging. These socio-emotional needs, which are essential for the development and evolution of kids, are fulfilled by relationships like friendship, romantic attachments, family bonding, etc. Love and acceptance are necessary to mitigate negative emotions like loneliness, depression and anxiety, which, unfortunately, is a reality among children nowadays. So, parents need to make sure that the emotional needs of their kids are met through strong social connections and inter-personal relationships.
Esteem Needs
An individual doesn’t only crave for love. Respect and appreciation from others are equally important for human beings. However, there is another aspect of Esteem Needs: Self respect. If these needs of any individual, including kids, aren’t met, they tend to develop low confidence and inferiority complex. Help your child accomplish his goals and encourage him to participate in group activities to have his Esteem needs met.
Self-actualization Needs
This is the final stage of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. At this stage, a person is said to realize his or her full potential and achieve all the basic needs. The need for self-actualization can manifest in different ways, such as continued education, pursuing life dreams and seeking happiness. Self-actualization needs differ from a person to person. One person may strive to become the best parent while another person might aim to become a millionaire or a humanitarian. It is basically the pursuit of personal growth. Help your child find her calling.