An early childhood application of Freud's psychoanalytic theory of development is to provide which type of objects for babies to mouth?

• A. Encouraging competitive play to build ego.
• B. Providing safe and sanitary objects for babies to mouth.
• C. Emphasizing punishment for oral exploration.
• D. Restricting muting of infant reflexes.

Answer: (B)

During the oral stage, a baby’s pleasure and development center on the mouth, so providing safe and sanitary objects for mouthing aligns with that focus. Supplying clean teething toys, pacifiers, and infant-safe objects gives an appropriate outlet for oral exploration, satisfying the baby’s drive in a healthy way and helping build trust and security during early development. This reduces frustration and potential fixation on oral activities later. In practice, caregivers offer items that are clean, safe for mouthing, and free of choking hazards. Other ideas—like pushing competitive play for ego development, punishing oral exploration, or restricting reflexes—don’t mirror Freud’s emphasis on satisfying early oral needs in a safe, controlled manner.