Egocentrism in Preschoolers

Magic Power?

• From a preschooler's point of view, expectations and wishes always become reality. For example, if a 4-year-old really wants a talking doll for her birthday and gets one, she wholeheartedly believes it was her burning desire to have the doll that brought it to her arms. Such magical thinking can be positive or negative. A preschooler, who in a moment of anger tells a friend that she̵7;ll never play with her again, might blame herself when she learns that the playmate is moving away. Reassure your preschooler that the move was already planned had nothing to do with what she said to her friend.

Seeing Is Believing

• What you see is not necessarily what you get unless you think like a preschooler. A preschooler's egocentric outlook might lead him to jump to illogical appearance-based conclusions that slant in the direction of his personal desires, according to Scholastic.com. For instance, a 3-year-old might assume that the cat he sees roaming around his front yard must belong to him. Perhaps he wants to run outside and bring the feline "home." Give your preschooler the opportunity to make the right decision about not keeping something that isn't his. Explain to your child that the cat is just taking a walk around the neighborhood and probably belongs to another family that's waiting for their pet to come home.

Social and Cognitive Effects

• A preschooler's egocentric perceptions can put a negative spin on social interactions and twist cognitive reasoning. For example, when two preschool-age friends see a small bowl and a large bowl -- each of which contains two scoops of ice cream -- both want the larger dish because they're convinced it has more ice cream in it. The child who "gets stuck" with the smaller bowl might become very upset because she firmly believes her friend got more ice cream. Support the preschooler's concerns and provide information that can help them understand that they both got the same amount of ice cream. Consider re-enacting the scene; display two empty bowls and let the preschoolers help scoop equal amounts of ice cream into the different-size bowls.

Expect the Unexpected

• A preschooler might not show a degree of empathy when another person is sad or upset. For example, if a playmate gets a paper cut while drawing, a preschooler might try to find a bandage to help take care of his friend. A preschooler might try to help his tired mommy feel better by handing over his favorite blanket or teddy bear. He assumes that because his blanket and bear make him feel good they will help mommy too, notes WebMD. On the other hand, when a playmate has to go home in the middle of a game because he doesn't feel well, a preschooler might stomp about and feel sorry for himself because the game is over, paying no mind to the fact that his friend his sick.

Considerations

• As a young child becomes increasingly conscious of and concerned with how others feel, she'll naturally become more cooperative when interacting with her peers, according to HealthyChildren.org. A preschooler will also become privy to the fact that other people don't necessarily share or agree with her thoughts and feelings. She'll eventually come to the realization that every person has his own distinctive qualities -- both positive and negative.