Parenting Behaviors Throughout Child’s Life Essay

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The following advice is of great importance to potential parents to support healthy prenatal development

The prenatal phase is the first and the most crucial in the human lifespan. Although it is the shortest phase, it is characterized by the most rapid growth and development. Additionally, it is highly critical period in human development. An unborn child is susceptible to many factors that determine its development (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014). Therefore, prospective parents should consider the following guidelines.

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First, prospective parents should seek genetic counseling before pregnancy. Genetically and hereditary related issues play major roles in human development. Consequently, birth defects and hindered development can result from a mismatch in parental chromosomes. Therefore, proper medical information based on chromosomal and health analyzes should inform decisions of beginning a pregnancy (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014).

Second, nutrition during pregnancy should be carefully considered. What a pregnant woman feeds on impacts both her health and the well-being of the fetus. Therefore, it is recommended for pregnant women to get dietary and nutritional advice from experts (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014).

Third, carrying pregnancies and giving birth require physically fit and healthy bodies. Therefore, it is recommended for women to adequately prepare their bodies for pregnancy and birth by taking part in moderate physical exercise (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014). Pregnant women who participate in physical exercise are likely to avoid problems associated with respiratory, blood circulation, and muscle tone. Additionally, studies have linked physical exercise to mood boost in expectant mothers.

Fourth, intake of harmful substances like drugs and alcohol directly affects the development of the child in the fetal and after birth stages. Miscarriages, stillborn, and underweight unhealthy babies are some of the problems associated with the intake of drugs and harmful substances by pregnant women. Therefore, pregnant women must avoid drugs and alcohol during pregnancy, especially in the first and the second trimesters (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014).

Fifth, regular prenatal medical supervision is important. For healthy and strong baby, an expectant mother must visit health providers, at least, five times since the onset of the pregnancy. During these checkups, fetal development is monitored while physicians give guidance, including advice on the medication where necessary (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014). It is apparent that some substances, especially substances from medical drugs, pass from the mother to the child and can have adverse effects on the child development. Therefore, pregnant women should only take a medicine with proper medical advice.

Primary infant development milestones and how they guide parenting

After birth, infancy is the subsequent critical phase of human development. The phase lasts for one year and is characterized by milestones whose effects are later apparent in the human life span. At this stage, a child shows highly proficient behavior and is aggressively involved in learning to master and interact with the environment. Therefore, it is imperative for parents or caregivers of infants to give extra supervision and suitable attention for proper growth and development (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014). Consequently, it is essential for parents to comprehend the following landmarks in infancy to get guidance in meeting needs of children in this phase.

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First, infants develop an individualized sleep-wake cycle. During the first few months, a baby can sleep for at least 16 hours per day. However, this may change subject to various environmental and developmental variations. Therefore, a caregiver should create an environment that allows an infant to have sufficient sleep. Proper feeding and bathing should be done when infants are awake, and sleep interruptions should be as short as possible. Additionally, safety during sleep is paramount and, therefore, caregivers must follow proper guidelines in creating safe sleeping environments (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014).

Second, infancy incorporates the first stage of intellectual development which is known as the sensorimotor stage. Coordination of motor skills and sensory data must be accomplished at this stage. For instance, a child learns to locate sources of sounds and make responsive movements. Caregivers should therefore ensure that infants stay in a hazard free environment. Additionally, caregivers are recommended to provide age-appropriate playing equipment that enhance cognitive development (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014).

Third, infants demonstrate emotional attachments to parents or personal caregivers. For instance, infants may cry whenever they see their mothers moving away from them. Additionally, an infant can clutch, touch or smile to the caregiver. It is imperative to note that infants’ proper attachment to primary caregivers promote emotional, physical and social well-being. Therefore, caregivers should respond to emotional behaviors by feeding, smiling at, gentle touch, rocking and talking to them (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014).

Fourth, infants create attitudes of the basic trust or mistrust. An infant will develop trust to a caregiver and an environment that meets its needs. Therefore, a child will be comfortable with the mother who feeds it while the child will cry if left with a stranger. Notably, this milestone is realized after a considerable infant interaction with the environment or the caregiver.

Fifth, at infancy, a child develops motor skills as it moves its lower limbs while playing with its hands. Frequently, infants grab tiny objects and direct them to their mouths. Therefore, intense supervision by caregivers and safe environments are recommended.

The primary developmental landmarks of early childhood and how they guide parenting

Parenting behaviors should change as children develop from infancy to early childhood stage – preschooler. This period is characterized by basic skills of communication, locomotion and interaction, which continue to develop significantly. Specifically, language is vital for preschooler, and it is the primary tool of relating with the environment and learning. Learning is based on observation and modeling, which allow preschoolers to acquire experiences as they tend to relate to others rather than self (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014).

Critical landmarks include the following. Physical aspects such as slow growth rate in height and weight; reduced appetite; emergence of primary teeth; improved motor skills; use of specific hand; high level of energy and enhanced fine motor skills are noted in this stage. Psychosocial aspects include increased awareness of self, others and objects; information collection about surrounding; increased curiosity; improved independence and self-control; emerging socialization based on gender roles; learning from activities and mistakes; and social, creative play.

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Cognitive elements observed in this stage include prelogical, preoperational, and intuitive thought; acquisition of information about the world; grouping and classification of objects; developing vocabulary; enhanced memory; and critical thinking characterized by egocentrism, self-centeredness, and animism to arrive at a conclusion (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014).

Parenting is fundamental during this stage of develop to meet all the developmental landmarks. Parenting response should be based on observable new and diverse developments. These changes are sources of challenges to parents. Parents should respond based on developmental aspects of children. For instance, they should transform physical rearing to more spoken and psychological modes of child rearing (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014).

Preschoolers have unique nutritional needs characterized by consumption of small quantities of food during this stage. Parenting involves teaching table manners during family meals. Parents must also understand that children require more calories and, therefore, they must provide the right foods. At the same time, parenting should focus on healthy meal to avoid overweight and obesity. Physical activities are also necessary element of parenting (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014).

Parents should also focus on developing desirable social behaviors by providing supportive environments. Health and safety of children should focus on developing strong immunity systems through immunization and healthy diets and protection from accidents (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014).

Parenting also involves nurturing and providing structures. Structures focus on rules that govern relations while nurturing is meant to enhance psychosocial development. In addition, parents are expected to control negative behavior such as aggression and temper tantrums. Children also develop attachment with their parents. Parenting must focus on identification of abnormal traits and seeking for professional help (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014).

The primary developmental landmarks of middle childhood and how they guide parenting

This stage is marked with increased maturity and responsibility for children. The major task involves attaining a sense of industry rather than a sense of inferiority. Effective development assists children to develop positive self-esteem during school age. Children are generally more independent, sensitive to criticism, prefer privacy, are critical of adults, and develop peer orientation (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014).

Physical or motor development involves group activities and games; notable gender variations in physical skills; effective hand and eye coordination; high energy levels; permanent teeth appear; and changes in body features. Social and mental development is characterized by same-sex peers’ activities preference; competition; curiosity about the world; development of close relationships with friends; involvement in group activities; development of self-concept based on social comparisons. In addition, children begin to read and develop arithmetic skills while thought patterns become more concrete rather than intuitive.

Children also develop interests in social skills characterized by humor, jokes; games, including online and video games; they become adventurous by focusing on biographies, movies and stories; creativity, individual talents and sports skills begin to develop (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014).

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This stage is the onset of peer influence noted in socialization. School-age children may experience increased pressure from parents and society based on their behaviors and learning while developmental changes in the body could lead to new social and mental objectives demanded by parents, schools and peers among others (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014). During this period, parents must assist their children to accomplish developmental tasks and milestones.

School-age children are bound to be influenced by peers, and such influences definitely affect parent-child relationships. Parents must understand the realities of increased, valued peer relations, best friends and increased absence from home, as well as changes in schedules. Thus, it is the responsibility of parents to ensure that positive peer relations are nurtured to assist school-age children to learn social skills, acceptable behaviors, communication skills, gender roles, and self-concepts among others (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014).

School-age children could present some of the milestones and challenges that parents should expect. For instance, self-serving bias; social comparison; bullying and harassment, including cyberbullying; and violence are common challenges to parents. It is imperative for parents to provide supportive environments and structures to promote positive peer relations and mitigate negative outcomes (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014).

The primary developmental landmarks of adolescence and how they guide parenting

Once again, parents must adjust their parenting strategies to meet new developmental demands and milestones from their children during adolescence as they transit from childhood into adulthood. Adolescents begin to develop a sense of personal identity rather than display role confusion and, hence, there is a need for taking personal responsibility as a mature person. Rapid psychological and physical developments are observable in body size, proportion, personality changes and sexual maturation. The period is also marked with experimentation, uncertainty and idealism.

These changes are generally responsible for parent-teen conflicts. Parents must recognize teens’ unrealistic aspirations and expectations (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014). Besides, some developmental tasks and milestones from early childhood such as skills developmental and behavior formation may persist into adolescence.

Parents must understand that teens need guidance, rules and support. Nevertheless, parents must understand that teens are now mature, and guidance should be offered in a more considerate manner (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014).

This period is marked with increased teen-parent conflicts relative to school-age period. Ideally, parents should find the most effective methods of assisting young adults to make decisions and avoid possibilities of self-harm. Thus, communication is critical during this period. As teens assume increased personal responsibilities, parents should progressively surrender teen control to provide opportunities for decision-making, personal development and promote self-control behaviors (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014).

While various parenting styles exist, some factors, such as economic activities, could influence parenting styles. For instance, families with economic difficulties may expect teens to be financially independent while middle class may use persuasion whereas successful parents may encourage their children to focus on their careers as such parents serve as role models (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014). Overall, parents should be fair, collaborative and consistent to enhance parent-teen relationship.

Teens also present some of the milestones and challenges that parents should expect. For instance, substance abuse, alcohol and binge drinking; suicide; eating disorders; teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases; and negative peer influences are critical challenges noted in teen parenting. These developmental milestones require different parenting styles. Parents should focus on nutrition, health and safety issues, and they should encourage teens to seek for professional help whenever such concerns are noted. Health and safety issues should extend to reckless behaviors, substance and drug abuse and poor diets. Eating disorder, for instance, may rise from cultural factors family ecology. Hence, it is imperative for parents to explore sources of behavioral problems in young adults (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014).

Overall, it is observed that authoritative parenting style can be used to instill positive behaviors in teens while parents adjust their approaches to accommodate notable developments in teens.

Emerging adulthood presents new parenting challenges

It is observed that parenting does not end when teens become adults. Instead, new forms of relationships emerge to account for new developments. Consequently, young adults have often prolonged their dependency on parents in different ways. First, the cost of higher education is extremely higher. As such, adult children may seek for financial assistance from their parents to meet their obligations.

In fact, financial dependency may continue longer than expected even after schooling, particularly among parents who do not want to see their adult children struggle. Second, some parents have overparenting habits, which promotes dependency of their adult children. Finally, parents may encourage children prolonged dependency because of their over-involvement in adult children’s affairs. In such cases, adult children tend to lack decision-making and analytical skills (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014). Adult children fail to individuate properly from parenting and family systems.

At the same time, parents also prolong the dependency of their children in different ways. This level of dependency shows that family structure as shifted to adult child-centered in which parents actively support lifestyles of their adult children until they become fully independent. In cases of boomerang children, they may have experienced divorce, lost a job, require retraining, unemployed or simply want to change careers. These situations lead to dependency.

While renesting could a common trend, conflicts between parents and their adult children could emerge due to differences on specific issues, including behaviors (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014). Parenting for adult children requires clearly defined expectation, and parents should not treat such young adults as children.

Parent and young adults usually normalize their relations during youth as parents change their parenting styles. As young adults become more independent, they develop self-awareness and control to enhance individuation and autonomy leading to normalized relations. Parents focus on developing healthy relations with their children as they support and discuss sensitive issues in a more collaborative manner (Bigner & Gerhardt, 2014).

Idealization processes assist adolescents to question parent activities and identify their weaknesses while they develop positive behaviors. Relatedness could enhance stronger ties between parents and young adults. Positive relatedness with parents leads to more positive outcomes as young adults normalize their relations.

References

Bigner, J. J., & Gerhardt, C. (2014). Parent-Child Relations: An Introduction to Parenting (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Publishing Company.

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