Introduction
The television drama “This Is Us” chronicles the tale of the Pearson family, concentrating on the three Pearson children—Kevin, Kate, and Randall—and their parents, Jack and Rebecca. The show depicts the joys and struggles of family life, including the challenges of parenting and the impact it can have on children’s emotional development. The nature of adolescent–parent relationships has been a topic of enduring concern (Marsh et al., Dobson, Maddison, 19). “This Is Us” offers a complex and relatable portrayal of family life.
Assessment of Parent Relationship in “This Is Us”
The Pearson family follows a combination of authoritative and permissive parenting styles. Jack and Rebecca are loving and nurturing parents. They allow their children to make their own decisions and mistakes. “You got to own your choices, boys. Choose them fully and don’t look back.” (The Challenger, This Is Us)
They set rules and boundaries to give their children room to grow and learn independently. “When you commit a child, you got to stick to it.” (The Challenger, This Is Us). When Jack and Rebecca’s parenting becomes overly permissive, they allow their children to skip school or stay out late without consequences.
The attachment between the Pearson parents and their children is mostly secure. “We’re their parents. We do the best we can. But at the end of the day, what happens to them, how they turn out, that’s bigger than us.” (The Challenger, This Is Us).
Jack and Rebecca are both involved in their children’s lives and make a point to show them love and affection. They are responsive to their children’s needs and provide a safe and supportive environment for their growth. When the children’s attachment to their parents becomes insecure, Rebecca favors Randall over the other two children, or Jack becomes too fixated on Kevin’s football success.
The Pearson children seem to be well-adjusted and happy for the most part. They are close to each other and their parents and are generally successful in their pursuits. In some instances, their parents’ actions hinder the children’s emotional development. For example, Kevin struggles with addiction and self-doubt, partly due to Jack’s pressure to succeed in football. “We go through this life slowly but surely.” (The Challenger, This Is Us). Kate struggles with self-esteem issues, partly due to Rebecca’s emphasis on weight. Randall struggles with anxiety and a need for control, partly due to Rebecca’s favoritism towards him.
To enhance the emotional development of their children, Pearson’s parents should focus on balancing their authoritative and permissive parenting. They should also be careful not to favor one child over the others, as this can lead to feelings of insecurity and resentment. Additionally, they should be aware of how their actions and words can impact their children’s self-esteem and emotional well-being and strive to ensure a safe and supportive environment for their development.
The parenting style and attachment in the Pearson family can be examined through the lens of several theoretical ideas and theorists. Harlow and Zimmerman’s research on attachment and the importance of early bonding between parents and children is evident in the Pearson family’s emphasis on love and affection. A key determinant of the effectiveness of parent-child interactions, parent-child cohesiveness is typically understood as the close emotional connection between children and their parents. (Wang et al. Yanhui, Huebner, Tian, 14).
Bowlby’s attachment theory is also evident in the Pearson family’s emphasis on providing children with a secure and responsive environment. Baumrind’s parenting styles theory can be used to analyze the mix of authoritative and permissive parenting in the Pearson family. The Pearson family’s parenting style and attachment can also be analyzed through Erik Erikson’s psychosocial development theory. According to Erikson, the first stage of psychosocial development is trust versus mistrust, which occurs during the first year of life. Erikson’s fourth stage of psychosocial development, industry versus inferiority, is relevant to the Pearson family’s parenting style as their children grow older.
Conclusion
Pearson’s family’s portrayal in “This Is Us” offers a complex and realistic depiction of the challenges and rewards of parenting. The analysis of the parenting style and attachment of the Pearson family in “This Is Us” highlights the importance of balancing love and boundaries and the impact that parents can have on their children’s emotional development. It also demonstrates that theoretical ideas can be used to understand family dynamics.
Works Cited
Marsh, Samantha, Rosie Dobson, and Ralph Maddison. “The relationship between household chaos and child, parent, and family outcomes: a systematic scoping review.” BMC Public Health vol. 20, 2020, pp. 1-27. Web.
“The Challenger.” This Is Us, created by Dan Fogelman et al., season 6, episode 1, NBC. 2022.
Wang, Yanhui, E. Scott Huebner, and Lili Tian. “Parent-child cohesion, self-esteem, and academic achievement: The longitudinal relations among elementary school students.” Learning and Instruction vol. 73, 2021, pp. 10-46. Web.