Problem: A. is 3.11 years old (3 years 11 months). She comes from a big family, with 4 older siblings, 2 half sisters and several extended family members, including a grandma and an uncle. The only change has been a new baby sister, who was born 4 months ago. A. used to come to school with a smile and join the group cheerfully. Lately she has been clinging to Mom and crying. Although you can get her to settle down after Mom leaves, you have found her whimpering at nap time and she was crying in the bathroom when she had an accident and needed to change her clothes. Recently you noticed she was pulling down the pants on the baby doll and spanking it with vigor, saying "Bad girl! Don't ever do that again!" You have tried talking to her, but she seems to clam up and just shakes her head if you ask any questions.
a. What is the primary developmental need indicated in examples below?
b. What should an adult do to help in this situation?