Hierarchy of Needs & Child Development

Biological and Safety Needs

• The first four levels of Maslow's hierarchy are those known as deficiency needs, according to Dr. Neel Burton in a May 2012 article on the "Psychology Today" website. Babies first learn to trust others when a parent responds in a positive way to their cries by holding, feeding or comforting them. When parents hold their babies close to warm them, little ones learn control of their reflexes. The baby learns that she can rely on her parents for safety and security. Insecure babies may have chronically high stress hormones, according to the Ask Dr. Sears website. This continuous flux of hormones creates anxiety. These children are at an increased risk for behavior disorders, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviors as they grow.

Social Needs

• Social needs include love, affection, the desire to belong and have relationships. A child learns socially acceptable behavior from his caregivers, and often mimics their actions and words. From the time a baby first smiles at his parent through the final stages of childhood, children crave the connection and belonging that comes from being part of a family. When children have healthy relationships within their nuclear family, they are likely to form positive relationships with others, interact in healthy ways and avoid peer pressure, according to SCAN, a Northern Virginia nonprofit with the goal to promote the well-being of children, improve parent-child relationships and prevent child abuse.

Esteem Needs

• To have their self-esteem needs fulfilled, people must have a sense of mastery, status, achievement and independence. Children with strong attachment to their parents feel secure to explore their surroundings, according to Ask Dr. Sears. Attachment parenting promotes independence and encourages children to develop self-esteem, the idea that they have significance. Parents are the main source of their child's sense of self-worth, and can build on attachment parenting practices by spending time with their child and cheering her on when she masters a new skill or achieves a goal.

Self-Actualization Needs

• Self-actualization is a need for personal growth, according to a piece by Saul McLeod, a psychology lecturer at Wigan and Leigh College, on SimplyPsychology.org. Maslow theorized that a person in this stage comes to find importance and meaning in his own life. Individuals reaching the top tier of Maslow's diagram have had all other deficiency needs met and are seeking personal growth. Although Maslow believed that only a small portion of the population would actually reach a stage of self-actualization, parents can encourage their children to explore their individual talents and skills to realize their own personal potential.