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 initial development in childhood, mentioning some of the situations that alter this development in early childhood and some difficulties. that children can have to live happily and in harmony.
Prenatal development
This is the first stage, and it begins inside the mother’s womb It can be influenced by multiple external factors with the capacity to impact 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 child’s good training.
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 our mothers eat, the drugs we consume, the diseases we suffer from, the emotions we feel…all of this can affect inside the womb.
For example, in Switzerland, the deficiency of iodine consumption in food caused thyroid disorders that produced physical and mental deficiency; For this reason, iodine supplements began to be 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 during both pregnancy and childbirth Mothers with inadequate diets have babies who are premature, underweight, or die in the womb or at birth. In this sense, it is worth remembering 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 in the womb, and tranquilizers and even contraceptives can interfere with its development before birth, which is why it is important that when the couple wants to conceive they do so in a planned manner and avoid complications at this stage of pregnancy.
Baby’s arrival home (birth)
This process involves the birth of the baby; If the birth was complicated or it is observed that the baby has a 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 promote the cognitive, motor and emotional development of the child and do not have 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 it requires to feed, care for and protect it because it still depends totally on its 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 his brain in particular will proceed properly, in addition to benefiting his healthy emotional development.
If in the first months of life the baby is adequately stimulated and fed, healthy physical, mental and sensory-motor development is facilitated. Of course, if the responsibility falls solely on the mother and the father is not involved in the first care, the baby will tend to be affected in her physical and motor development. It is common that in cases like this, children begin to show delays in being able to hold their body without help, and that they take a while to stand and walk.
In some, the problem is also reflected in the delay in language management, or in the child emotionally expressing insecurity, fear of separating from his parents, with expressions of crying that are very distressing and difficult to calm.
Early childhood
At this stage the child begins to have a very progressive development in his intellectual development And if they had poor nutrition up to this stage, this can affect the child’s abilities to pay attention and interfere with their learning.
Likewise, if there is a conflictive domestic environment around the minor, the child may also be affected in his or her mental and emotional development.
In this stage The child’s relationship with the first person who cares for him or her continues to be very important since it plays a very important role in emotional and social development.
When the bond between mother and child is healthy because there is affection (this protective figure looks at him, attends to him, listens to him, smiles at him, talks to him, crawls with him and plays), this It becomes an active, emotional and reciprocal relationship and the interaction is strengthened and making more vigorous links.
The stronger the relationship between the child and the adults who care for him or her, the greater the child’s feeling of security when entering school for the first time, and of being able to explore the world more easily. Later, This will allow them to develop the ability to form more intimate relationships
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 developing an identity, and feeling so misunderstood with their parents. and feelings of rejection.
That’s why Parenting in childhood is of vital importance for the healthy development of the stages after childhood like puberty and adolescence.
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This article has been reviewed by our editorial team at PsychologyFor to ensure accuracy, clarity, and adherence to evidence-based research. The content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.
