The Role of Parents in Child Development

Child Development

Child development involves the emotional, psychological and biological changes that occur in every human being from the time of birth all through adulthood. It is a unique course for every child though it is affected by developmental experiences and hence it doesn’t progress at the same rate in the stages of development. Development changes are facilitated by factors such as environmental and learning factors, and genetic factors (Bornstein, Marc, and Robert 489). Child development can be promoted through parental training and the quality of their care. This is because parents play a significant role in the life of a child, development, and socialization. Taking a good and quality care of a child can encourage healthy development of a child.

Importance of Holistic Development

There is an importance of looking at child development holistically. It is evident that holistic development involves the process of learning that put emphases on the importance of physical, psychological well-being and emotions of a child, particularly at the early childhood. One can identify the interest of the child, and it will help gain an understanding that will help in guiding the child to discover his or her identity and purpose in life. Looking at the development of a child will help in building a strong and trusting relationship. Young children can communicate better when they can get access to the people they trust. Enhancing a strong relationship with a child will create a safe and secure community and improve the relationship with parents, other children and other people in the community.

Creating an Engaging Environment

It also helps in creating an engaging and inviting environment for child development. It creates a safe and comfortable environment for children to connect and be themselves. Children can find space for creative playing of their favorite games and making decisions on what they would like to do when they grow up. Parents should fully involve themselves in looking at their children development since children form a bond with their parents from their early childhood experiences and their learning which can profoundly affect their future.

Basic Needs for Children

There are various basic needs for the children. First are food, shelter, and clothing. Children have a fundamental right to be provided with nutritious food and proper shelter (Hamre, Bridget et al. 1262). Children cannot acquire their food or sustain themselves in any reasonable shelter. It, therefore, becomes a primary responsibility for every parent or guardian to provide food for the children’s stomach and a roof for their heads. Children are also not capable of clothing themselves. Therefore, they should be provided with clothes so that they can live comfortably like other people.

Physical Safety

Secondly, physical safety should be a concern to all parents. Children cannot protect themselves from any harm whether from strong children or aggressive adults. They, therefore, need their parents to provide physical safety by protecting them, defending them when they are attacked or threatened and keeping them from harm. Thirdly, children need emotional security, as children are going through the stages of development they rarely understand most situations even those that are said to be innocent ones can be stressing to them. Therefore, parents need to be present for their children in such time. Parents should also provide a peaceful environment where the children can grow with no emotions of sadness. Emotional security is essential because children who are said to be affected by the situations that caused negative emotions are likely to have psychological problems even when they grow older. Therefore, emotional security can prevent childhood trauma.

Other Basic Needs

Last but not least, there are other basic needs for children that may seem minor to adults but are very important to the children. One is Love. Children need to be shown love, and as well they need to realize the impact of their parental love. Second is acceptance. Children need to know that their parents like and value them for who they are and they will support them at all cost. Third is guidance. Children need to be assisted with learning how to behave towards people and things. Most importantly there are certain moral standards that children should incorporate into their lives including kindness, sincerity, compassion, fairness, and courage among others.

Role of Adults

Additionally, the basic needs of children cannot be provided effectively without the intervention of the role of an adult in providing for them. Parents should provide an optimum and conducive environment for their children, teach and educate them, provide direction, guidance, help, and assistance, provide support and motivation to the children and taking care of their biological needs (Moore 59). In addition, since children are not at a position of providing for themselves, parents are responsible for meeting the biological desires of their children. They can achieve this by providing good food, fresh air, quality sleep and leisure time.

Conclusion

In summary, parents are vital elements in child development. For children to be able to pass through the stages of development healthily and with all the necessities they require, parents need to be present. They shape the future of their children from their early childhood. In the society, we see that every parent is committed to raising his or her children in the right and accepted ways so that to prepare the future generation of that society. Therefore, we can conclude that child development cannot be complete without the presence of a parent.

Works cited

Bornstein, Marc H., and Robert H. Bradley. Socioeconomic status, parenting, and child             development. Routledge, 2014: 430-600

Hamre, Bridget, et al. “Evidence for general and domain‐specific elements of teacher–child    interactions: Associations with preschool children’s development.” Child development85.3         (2014): 1257-1274.

Moore, Robin C. Childhood’s domain: Play and place in child development. Routledge, 2017: 56-71