1. Definition

Childhood is usually defined as the first stage in the human life cycle, as the age up to the attainment of ¶ puberty. Division is normally made into infancy, early childhood, preschool, and school age. The phase between the onset of puberty and adulthood is called youth or adolescence. From the standpoint of ages in the life cycle, childhood is the period of the ability and need to learn, of malleability, and of education. It has thus been the object of varied philosoph…