Chapter 9 once children reach the preschool stage (ages 3–6 years), they are capable of originating activities and asserting control over their world through social interactions and play. what is the primary developmental task of this stage?

Initiative vs. Guilt

Explanation:

Initiative versus guilt

This is the third stage under Erik Erikson's theory which explains psychosocial development. In this stage children express themselves frequently and confidently. They may start to look more aggressive.

There is more interaction with other children at school and coming up with activities to play as they get the chance to initiate games it builds a sense of leadership and confident in making decisions. If this ability to initiate and make decisions is squashed by criticism children may begin to have a sense of guilt.

In this stage they yearn and crave to know things so they ask more questions. If parents don't attend to this arising curiosity and treat those questions as trivial or inappropriate that is where the sense of guilt develop in a child. This may inhibit the growth as they may shy away from interactions and creativity