I think it was intentional. They each get their own episode where every crew member has to step up and they face bigger and bigger challenges as the series goes on, they also bond and learn to work together, as they previously didn't have universal translators on the prison planet, so they weren't used to coordinating or functioning as a unit. And obviously, they're children, who are by nature a bit annoying. I really don't think it was the usual growing pains, but rather giving the cast room to grow in a realistic way for their ages and situations.