Importance of Influencing the Lives of Young Children and their Families
An interview is an exceptional tool for researching situations that require substantial details about the point of view of the participants. This interview was carried out on four parents to find out information on selected ten elements that were necessary for a child to achieve a good start in life. The factors identified in this paper are play, music, reading, touch, care, self-esteem, safety, interaction, communication, and relationships. These items formed the theme of the interviews. Therefore, the questions for the interview revolved around the ten factors. The answers to the interview questions were recorded in the form of notes. Audiotapes were also used to facilitate note-taking.
The following issues formed the introductory protocol. Only authorized people had access to the data collected. This was a requirement since the data collected was treated as confidential. The involvement of the parents was voluntarily, thus, no one was compelled to answer the questions. Furthermore, the respondents might stop answering the questions any time they wished if they felt that they had given sufficient information or the questions we’re getting too personal. Lastly, the interviewer and the questions on the questionnaire were not meant to inflict any form of harm to the respondents.
The period for the interview was 12 hours with the time to be spent by one interviewee being a maximum of two hours. The questions were presented to the interviewees and they were allowed to answer them within the given period. The interviewer reserved the right to interrupt the respondent whenever it was necessary to save time.
Before answering the questions, the respondents were informed on why they had been selected for this particular interview. For one to be called a parent, he/she should have brought up a child and therefore, the individual was the most appropriate person to answer the questions. This was then followed by the reasons for the study that indicated what exactly the research was trying to achieve. The reason for this research was to identify the factors that needed to be available for a child to grow up well. The respondents were also informed of the intended use of the information that was collected.
It was also necessary to collect information on the background of the interviewee before the main questions. This included the current position held by the interviewee at the workplace. The respondent also gave their highest level of education attained. Additionally, they were asked to state the number of children they had, the current situation (growth stages) of the children, and what plans they had for the children.
The questions for the interview were mainly revolved on their experience on what children required to grow up well. They were allowed to focus on the ten factors or they might give their account of what they found out as necessary. They responded to their own experience of what children needed most for them to grow up well. They also discussed the things that were suitable for growing children. Furthermore, the questions required them to relate each factor with the part it played in the development process of their children. It was also relevant for them to highlight what the children might lack or the negative effects of not being exposed to the required factors. Additionally, the questions also shifted to the respondents on how they grew up. The questions covered what they were exposed to and how it helped them to be what they are right now. They were also asked questions related to the things they were not exposed to and how it had limited them in any way. Lastly, the parents were given a chance to comment on the role of parents in the growth and development of children.
The nature of this interview did not allow a follow-up interview and it would be appropriate that the interviewer made follow up immediately after the last question. This required the interviewer to be keen during the whole process to identify matters that might require clarification or emphasis. Follow-ups are also done to ensure that all the necessary information has been gathered and that there are no contradictions.
Interview Results
The four parents interviewed were willing to provide the required information. One of them was a businesswoman, another one was a high school teacher, others were a doctor and a mechanic. This variety was found to be convenient for this study since I needed diverse views on the issue. The interview was also conducted within the required period for each respondent to answer the questions. The respondents had their views on the issues but they all agreed on the fact that some factors were necessary for the growth and development of a child.
The businesswoman had raised two children. One is still very young and the other one is in a second grade. She first noted that play was significant in a child’s development process. According to her, play helps in refreshing the moods of the child and for muscle development. While playing with others, the child also develops some social skills due to the interaction. She also observed that play helped children in developing self-esteem, which can be considered as a vital element in the future life of the child. However, she noted that music, especially with explicit content, was not good for the development of children. She also supported communication between the parent and the child. She emphasized that the parent should always be in touch with their children. The respondent noted that while growing up, she was not in contact with her parents frequently. This was a factor that disturbed her greatly to the extent that she could not study properly due to the lack of parental motivation.
The next respondent who was the mechanic had one child in high school. The mechanically considered communication as the most significant aspect that should never be absent in the relationship between a child and the parents. He also identified other factors such as play, music, and the parental touch as necessary elements in the growth of a child. He bemoaned the lack of communication in his childhood for some things that had happened in his life although he was not willing to highlight some of the things he might have undergone that made him conclude as he did.
The other two parents, the doctor and the school teacher had some useful information. The school teacher highlighted the significance of the ten elements to the growth of a child and indicated that from his job, he had experienced many children who had issues related to the manner they were raised. Additionally, the teacher noted that discipline was also important in the growth of a child. The parents had to devise a means of appreciating good behavior and condemning bad behavior. On the other hand, the doctor had the same views as the individuals above but he was more detailed and critical at the same time. The doctor also gave recommendations from a scientific point of view. For instance, he recommended that children should be allowed to play without restrictions since the restrictions prevented them from being risk-takers. For an individual to be a risk-taker, the notion must have been imbibed in his mind for a certain period and it should begin at the childhood stage. The parents were given a chance to comment on the role of parents in the growth and development of children.
Newsletter
“Greetings from the school administration and the student fraternity of the school. It is our gratitude to present to you this newsletter that will inform you of the progress we have made on various issues.”
Curriculum News
It is our pleasure to inform you that we have made substantial progress in curriculum coverage. Most of the students have been cooperative and we would like to appreciate the attitude and thank the parents for creating an enabling environment, which facilitated the cooperativeness of the students. Given that, we would like to present your sample research that was conducted by one of the students here at the school.
Findings from the article summaries and interview
The interview revealed some issues that were of great significance to child development. The first critical issue was communication between the parents and the child. Communication is critical since it helps in promoting positive interaction and better social orientation. This is practicable if the parents communicate relevant ideas, knowledge, and behaviors to their children. These will ensure that the children are informed and they develop positively. Moreover, while growing up, children have many issues that they need to share with someone. The parents are therefore required to promote communication since this will help them to identify these issues among the children. This is a huge step towards child support and therefore should not be ignored. The parents get a chance to not only understand their child but also to develop positive relationships that are satisfying to the child. This is especially important during the adolescent stage when the child needs answers to some questions that s/he may not be free to ask other people such as teachers at school.
The play was recognized as an important tool in the development of a child both physically and mentally. Playing helps to develop the self–esteem of children. Physical inactivity is therefore a destructive factor in the growth of self-esteem and therefore should not be encouraged. Furthermore, it is a cause of lifestyle diseases such as obesity and other poor health outcomes in the later stages of life. Additionally, the play was also identified from the interview as important in the growth of a child’s brain. While playing, children are exposed to various circumstances that require them to either take a risk or make an alternative decision. These circumstances may help the child to develop good decision-making skills and to be an exemplary risk-taker later in life. It is therefore vital that parents encourage their children to play. This is crucial especially for girls at the adolescent stage who fear to play due to lack of self-esteem.
Music was also identified as another critical tool in the growth and development process of a child. Most schools and institutions promote singing among the children therefore it allows the children to display their singing abilities and share the ideas after singing. This allows them to learn. However, as quoted from one of the respondents, music may also be destructive if children are exposed to music that has adult content. Their morals may be compromised by watching such content.
Parental touch or involvement with the child is another significant tool for proper growth and development. The parent is required to be engaged in the learning process by closely monitoring the progress of the child in academic affairs. Interaction helps detect any problems that the child may be experiencing. The parent is also required to provide the right knowledge for the child to grow and develop. Contact with the child may also help the parent detect changes in behaviors of the child especially when they are on the adolescent stage. While some changes in behavior may be positive, other changes are due to different influences such as peer pressure and drug abuse. Such changes are negative and may be destructive to the growth and development of the child and the learning process. One of the respondents admitted that she did not have adequate parental interaction in her life and therefore she could not perform well in school since there was no one to guide her when she was deviating.
A suitable environment for the child to develop is also necessary for proper growth and development. The environment can be provided by establishing good relationships at home and school. People who are close to the child especially parents are required to maintain a good relationship amongst themselves and with the child. This helps develop the psychological mindset of the child, which subsequently enables the child to perform well academically and grow up well. Relationships go together with caring. The subsequent effects of the lack of care are the same for the lack of good relationships. It is also impossible to have a beneficial relationship with someone in the absence of care. The presence of care builds the self–esteem of children reduces depression, and helps them to develop good relations with other students at school and at home.
Conclusion
These findings have been conducted to establish the factors that facilitate the proper growth and development of the child. Parents are the epicenter of these discussions since they are the ones who understand the children better. The results from the interviews were consistent with the research from the articles. It is our wish that some of the recommendations highlighted above will be examined carefully for the proper development of children. We would also like to thank those who participated in the interview process particularly the four parents for helping us with the relevant information that assisted drastically in generating this newsletter.