What affects the upbringing of children?
These are the aspects of parental behavior that influence the development of children.
During the development and formation of children, there are several stages through which their physical, mental and emotional maturity progresses..
Knowing the elements that affect this growth process is key to supporting their well-being.
Elements of parenting that influence children's development.
I will begin by explaining the stages of development from the prenatal stage to early childhood, with the aim of showing a look at some aspects of early childhood development, mentioning some of the situations that come to alter this development in early childhood and some difficulties that come to have children to live happily and in harmony.
Prenatal Development
This is the first stage, and it begins in the mother's womb.. It can be influenced by multiple external factors that can have an impact on the development of the baby in the womb, such as the mother's nutrition, the consumption of any drug, alcohol or tobacco, etc. These factors can cause irreparable damage to the proper development of the baby.
Thus, from the moment we are conceived, our formation is determined by our environment even before we are born, through phenomena such as the food the mother eats, the drugs she takes, the illnesses she suffers, the emotions she feels... all of which can have an impact in the womb.
For example, in Switzerland, iodine deficiency in food caused thyroid disorders that led to physical and mental deficiency; therefore, iodine supplements were prescribed for all pregnant women in those regions.
In mothers who manage to have a good diet, it has been seen that they suffer fewer complications in both pregnancy and childbirth.. Mothers with inadequate diets have babies who are premature, underweight, or who die in the womb or at birth. In this regard, it should be remembered that drugs can cross the placenta and have greater negative effects during the first months of pregnancy.
Some Antibiotics are harmful to the development of the baby inside the womb, and tranquilizers and even contraceptives can interfere with its development before birth, so it is important that when the couple wishes to conceive, they do it in a planned way and avoid complications at this stage of gestation.
Arrival of the baby at home (birth)
This process involves the birth of the baby; if the birth was with complications or it is observed that the baby has some health problem special care will be necessary; in these cases pediatricians generally suggest that parents pay attention to the baby with early stimulation activities to favor the cognitive, motor and emotional development of the baby and to avoid language and learning problems or mobility difficulties in early childhood.
At this stage, the bond between the baby and the parents begins through the attention required to feed, care for and protect the baby, since he is still totally dependent on his adults; if he is given a protective and loving environment, his immune system will be strengthened, and the maturation of the nervous system in general and of his brain in particular will take place properly, in addition to benefiting his healthy emotional development.
If the baby is stimulated and fed adequately in the first months of life, a healthy physical, mental and sensory-motor development is facilitated. However, if the responsibility falls solely on the mother and the father is not involved in the early care, the baby will tend to be affected in their physical and motor development. It is common that in such cases the little ones begin to show delays in holding their body without help, and that it takes time to stand up and walk.
In some cases, the problem is also reflected in the delay in the management of language, or in that emotionally the child shows insecurity, fear of separation from their parents, with expressions of a very distressing and difficult to calm crying.
Early childhood
At this stage the child begins to have a very progressive development in their intellectual development. and if there has been poor nutrition up to this stage, it can affect the child's attention span and interfere with learning.
Similarly, if there is a conflictive home environment around the child, the child's mental and emotional development may also be affected.
At this stage the child's relationship with the first caregiver is still very important, as it plays a very important role in the child's development.It plays a very important role in the child's emotional and social development.
When the bond between mother and child is healthy because there is affection (this protective figure looks at him, takes care of him, listens to him, smiles at him, talks to him, crawls with him and plays with him), this becomes an active, affectionate relationship. becomes an active, affectionate and reciprocal relationship, and the interaction becomesThe interaction is reinforced and the bonds become more vigorous.
The stronger the relationship between the child and adult caregivers, the greater the child's sense of security as he or she enters school for the first time, and the easier it is for him or her to explore the world. Later in life, this will allow them to develop the ability to form more intimate relationships with their caregivers..
Children who do not grow up in this environment with close relationships with their mother or father may present in adolescence alterations such as anxiety, fear of their future, feelings of insecurity and great difficulty in developing an identity, and feeling misunderstood by their parents and feelings of rejection.
For this reason is of vital importance for the healthy development of the later stages of childhood, such as puberty and adolescence.such as puberty and adolescence.
(Updated at Apr 14 / 2024)