Understanding Egocentrism In Children

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Editorial Team

With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting..

Understanding Ego-Centrism In Children

During the second stage of development, between the ages of 2 and 7, children are likely to show signs of egocentric behavior. They have a perspective of looking at things, and by their own observation, they derive different contexts from different situations. A child does not understand that someone else’s opinions can be different from his perceptions. Through this article, we aim to help parents in understanding the behavior of egocentrism in children.

If a child believes in something and thinks that everyone else should also believe in it, then this type of thinking is called egocentric. As a parent, this kind of behavior in children can be very worrisome, but you will be surprised to know that it is quite common.

What is Egocentrism?

Egocentrism is when one thinks about themselves and only cares about their own need, desire, and view. This type of behavior is seen in children, but is quite common in adults too. Egocentric children have a tendency to be self-centered, self-serving, and self-focused.
Between the ages of 2 and 7, egocentric behavior raises its head in children, and it subsides gradually as the child grows older. Egocentrism has effects on the child’s perception. An egocentric person finds it difficult to absorb or acknowledge others’ perspectives or, in simple terms, we can say they fail to see others’ views.

With an egocentric child, you will find expressions of “No”, “Me”, “Mine” and “My” dominating their vocabulary. Egocentrism in a child is the process of loving and discovering themselves through the love of others – when they are the center of the universe for everyone else. If a child likes strawberries more than oranges, they will perceive that everyone else also likes strawberries more than any other fruit. If anyone says that they like oranges or bananas instead of strawberries, this may feel completely absurd and incorrect to them.

Examples of Egocentrism in Children

Examples of Ego-centrism in Children

The egocentric nature of a child is their natural behavior. As time passes, they begin to understand others’ perspectives too. Let’s see a simple example of egocentric behavior in children. You are playing peek-a-boo or hide-and-seek as a child or with your children. If your child hides in a blanket over the bed and thinks that they have hidden from you since they can’t see you, this is an example of egocentric behavior. The child is unable to understand that you can see them hidden inside the blanket. Egocentrism is trouble if this behavior governs the important actions of a child.

A child with egocentric thinking will have a bossy attitude, and will also be possessive about their belongings. The difficulty in sharing is also a part of their egocentric behavior. Such children are mostly in disagreement with many things. You may find your child pushing others out of the way to be in the first position in a line. They may also demand different foods than the ones you or others offer them, or grab a toy from another child’s hands. Some children also express egocentrism by being loud and distracting in a public place.

[Read: Avoid your child from getting spoilt]

How to Deal With Egocentric Children?

With patience, serenity, and consistency, the egocentric nature of children can be managed very well. Though your child is going through a developmental phase, this type of behavior cannot be ignored. As a parent, you must take care to satisfy their rational needs and ignore their irrational demands. Do not encourage the bossy attitude of your child. Talking and sharing your feelings with children and listening to their views can be very helpful for dealing with their egocentric nature. Human beings do not need to learn to love others, it comes naturally. As a parent, you must ensure to nurture their natural ability to love and respect people around them.

[Read: How to Effectively Say ‘NO’ to Your Child?]

Some Steps That Can Help Egocentric Children

Here are a few steps that can help to deal with egocentric children;

1. Set the Limits

Setting the limits can be hard for a parent, but there is no escape from it. Giving in to the temper tantrums of your toddler is not the right approach, and there has to be a firm “No” to things that are not right or not required.

2. Encourage Decision-Making

Let your toddler participate in discussions and ask their opinion about things that concern them and their environment.

3. Engage Your Child in Friendships and Play

Do let your preschooler get in touch with other kids and build relations. Children tend to lose egocentrism when they see their friends having different views, which forces them to understand realities.

4. Observe and Listen to Their Self-Talks

This will give you an insight into their thinking, and you will be more equipped with steps to deal with it.

5. Encourage Open Talks

Give your child ample opportunities to explore, discuss, and exchange ideas. Also, welcome open-ended conversations with them.

If you believe egocentricity is not as common in adults as it is in children, then you are wrong. Egocentric behavior in adults can be easily seen through daily life examples. If you are familiar with computers and find it very easy to handle new technology, you might think that everyone else is also good with computers.

If your grandparents request you to teach them computers and have difficulty seeing letters on the keyboard, it may easily frustrate you. Losing patience in such a situation is a type of egocentric behavior. The person with egocentric behavior is not aware that his actions are hurting others.

Editorial Team,

With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting.Read more.

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