Children continue to develop physically, and in early childhood they begin to understand what it means to be a boy or girl. Curiosity still is the basis for their sexuality during this time. Children also learn that their genitals are private during these years, and they often begin to associate sexuality with secrecy.
Physical Development: Mastering Coordination
Early childhood is a crucial period for physical development. Children of this age must learn to master the basic physical actions, such as eye-hand coordination, walking, talking, and generally learning to control their bodies. Think of all the new things a
child must learn: all the rules of speaking and communicating; extremely complex physical skills such as self-feeding, walking, and running; how to interact with other children and adults; control of bodily wastes through toilet training; and handling all the frustrations of not being able to do most of the things they want to do when they want to do them. Though this period of childhood is not a particularly active one in terms of physical sexual development, children may learn more in the first few years of childhood about the nature of their bodies than they learn in the entire remainder of their lives. It is truly a time of profound change and growth.