Occupational Development: Towards an Understanding of Children's Doing

Although child development has been examined by various disciplines for over a century, very little is known specifically about how children's occupations develop over time. In order to begin to address this significant gap in the literature, an exploratory qualitative study was conducted to examine children's doings. Twelve in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with members of six families: eight girls aged 6 to 12, and six parents. Two themes emerged from the data: reasons for engagement in or why children do the things they do (opportunities, resources, motivations, parental views and values), and the process by which children's occupations come to be established (innate drive, exposure, initiation, continuation, transformation, cessation, and outcomes). The Process for Establishing Children's Occupations (PECO), comprised of specific influences and process stages, is offered as a preliminary model for understanding the process of and influences on occupational development.