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Monday, March 18, 2024

The importance of good parenting for children

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Primary socialization is a developmental stage that plays the most significant role in an individual’s character. It begins from the moment we’re born and lasts a lifetime. Parents are usually infants’ first source of socialization, and children develop their core personalities and behavior based on their interactions with their parents.

Hence, it is safe to say that parents play a critical role in children’s life. A family with a gentle parenting style is more likely to bring up emotionally stable children than one that is harsh.

With such a significant impact comes even greater responsibility. Those new to the parenting world often wonder how to make a difference in their child’s life. Continue reading if you are one of them.

1) Molding children’s personality

We have previously discussed parents’ role in primary socialization since children consider their mom and dad role models. Parenting also sets the basis for how the kids will handle relationships and communication in the future.

Children who have a loving bond with their parents are likely to develop happy relationships. Gentle parenting introduces one to regulate their emotions. It is an important life skill that should be instilled within kids at a young age.

Calm and rational parents teach their children to behave similarly; these qualities are not taught explicitly. Instead, they’re observed by kids who then copy them.

2) Good parenting ensures good health

A child’s health is the parents’ foremost priority. But sometimes, new parents miss out on subtle signs of injuries and birth defects. These injuries are evident over time, causing significant difficulties and personal problems for their children.

One of two common birth injuries is cerebral and Erb’s palsy. If you, as a parent, suspect your child suffers from a birth injury, it would be best to consult a medical professional. If it’s Erb’s palsy, consulting Erbs palsy experts would be ideal.

There is a deeper connection between parenting and children’s immune system than you think. Researchers at the University of Oregon conducted a study with 102 children. The results showed that high poor parenting scores were linked with high levels of inflammation and immune activation.

One of the reasons behind this can be parents giving children more responsibility than they can handle. Doing this can lead to high levels of stress. Hence, the activation of the immune system.

Many people might believe that the immune response is a good thing. This statement is true to some extent. Immune system activation is a sign of health in humans. However, its activation due to chronic stress can be harmful.

3) It leads to more emotional stability in kids

It is a fact that the first signs of behavioral problems can appear at even infancy. Child-parent relationships play a significant role in the development of such issues. The use of strict tools to ensure discipline leads to higher chances of emotional instability.

Parents with mental health issues might struggle to keep a sensitive parenting style. Some people with depression and anxiety have proven best the odds to live happy lives with their children. However, simple day-to-day tasks might become stressful for a parent with a mental health disorder. For example, walking to the park or helping with homework.

Sometimes the emotional unavailability might lead to neglect. In the long term, this might encourage children’s development of abandonment and trust issues. The key here is to focus on how a loving and caring parenting style is more likely to raise a confident and emotionally healthy child.

4) It plays a significant role in building a child’s self-esteem

This article has talked about the influence of parenting styles on children’s emotional and mental health. Another thing that parenting can impact is a child’s self-esteem. Nurturing parents, supportive of their kids’ choices and talents, tend to have more confident children.

Appreciating even minor achievements makes your kid feel good about themselves. They view themselves based on how you and others treat them. Hence, ensure you listen to their stories no matter how silly they are.

Encourage idea generation and praise them for performing well. Doing this will automatically raise your child’s idea of their self-worth.

Now that we have discussed how your parenting style can affect your children let us consider which one you should choose.

There are four types of parenting styles:

1) Authoritative

Authoritative parents use reasoning to ensure discipline. They inform their kids about the consequences of all actions and give explanations of right and wrong. This guidance allows the children to make their own decisions.

Freedom and independence encourage children to be rational when faced with choices. This parenting style leads to children being confident, intelligent, and active.

2) Permissive

Permissive parents do not like to say no to their kids. There are close to no restrictions for their kids. The fear of disappointing their kids keeps them from enforcing rules. As a result, their children usually are self-centered and have difficulty following rules.

3) Authoritarian

Authoritarian parents are controlling. They enforce rules and expect the children to oblige. The room for freedom and independent decision-making is little. One-way communication sets strict lines of authority. The consequences of mistakes are usually harsh punishments.

Children of such parents are likely to have low self-esteem, behavioral problems, and poor social skills. They might also find it difficult to control their temper.

4) Neglectful

Neglectful parents are completely uninvolved in their children’s lives. They do not put effort into providing a happy life for the kids. The children’s needs are unknown to such parents.

Their kids usually develop attention-seeking behavior and mental issues like suicidal thoughts.

Conclusion

As much as we wish for a single guideline to exist for parents, it does not. They face multiple challenges in all different phases of their children’s lives. It is impossible to generalize all experiences and advice. The key is to remember to balance all things – love, anger, authority, and many other emotions.

Do not be too lenient or overbearing. Explain the difference between right and wrong and let children learn through making mistakes. However, do not be too uninvolved. Being a nurturing parent will be rewarding once your infant grows to become a contributing member of society.

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