FACTORS AFFECTING GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Many factors affect to these dimensions of growth and development. Some of them affect mental or social growth and development and some factors affect all of them. Important such factors are given below:

1. Proper Diet: There is direct relationship between nutrition and physical growth. If diet is not taken according to the physical activities, physical growth will be retarded which will in turn affect the social, mental and emotional growth and development also.

2. Exercise : Physical exercise on regular basis will also improve physical growth and development. If a person is slow in his physical activities. his health might be worsened. The more an organ of the body is used, the more it will become strong.

3. Sanitarion and hygiene: A disease free body is likely to grow more freely. This is possible only when the person is following the norms of hygiene and live in a good sanitary condition. It will save the person from communicable diseases.

4. Generic factors : Genes play very important role in the process of growth and development. Nobody can surpass his genetic characteristics. If a person belongs to a race which is genetically short in height he can not increase his height by taking nutritious food and doing exercises.

5. Recognition in the society : If the individuality of a person is recognized in the society and he is given full freedom to grow his potentialities, his physical as well as social growth and developinent will be maximum. Unnecessary restrictions imposed on a person hampers the process of growth and development.

6. Sociability : Social relations also affect growth and development of a person. If a person is discarded by the society and people are biased him, he will get less chance of socialization. As a result, his social horizon will be limited which will reduce his social learning. This will deteriorate the social growth and development. In that case the person will get less chance of exposure in the society. It will reduce his physical development also. As far as language development is concerned, sociability is a must.

7. Training : Growth and development is science in itself. If proper training on scientific lines is given to the individual, he is likely to grow and develop by leaps and bounds. Physical and health education serves this purpose.

8. Games and sports Games and sports are necessary for all types of growth and development. They release pent up feeling of the person on one hand and give more chance of physical activities on the other. They are an important source of recreation as well. All these things are very conducive to physical, social and emotional growth and development.

9. Protection : A person must feel secure in the society only then his growth and development will be natural and spontaneous. If an individual is living in a surcharged atmosphere and his life and property is always in danger, he will develop negative thinking. Negative attitude towards life and society is an enemy of growth and development in general.

10. Manipulation of the environment : If a person is given full enhance to manipulate the environment, his thinking will expand. It will have a positive bearing on his mental and emotional development.

11. Free exchange of ideas Language development takes place only when a person is exposed in the society. In such an environment free exchange of ideas takes place. It increase word power of a person.

12. Self contentment Human desires have no ends. If first desire of the wants is satisfied, another desire replaces the first, thus man always becomes slave of desires. It creates a tension in the mind of man. On the other, if a man is fully contended with what he has, he becomes tension free. It can improve his process of growth and development to a great extent.