Parenting
Parenting is the process of raising and
educating a
child from
birth until
adulthood. This is usually done in a child's
family by the
mother and
father (i.e., the biological parents). Where parents are unable or unwilling to provide this care, it is usually taken on by close relatives (including older
siblings) and
grandparents,
adoptive parents,
foster parents,
godparents, or institutions (such as
group homes or orphanages).
Parens patriae refers to the
public policy power of the
state to usurp the rights of the natural
parent,
legal guardian or informal caregiver, and to act as the parent of any
child or individual who is in need of protection.
*Physical care:
**Reliably providing
shelter,
education,
medical care, physical
safety, and
nourishment.
*Social development and emotional support:
**
Love,
play, and physical
touch**
Social skills and
etiquette**
Ethics and
value systems**
Moral and
spiritual development
**
Norms and contributions to the child's
religion and ethnic
customs*Financial support:
**
Money provided by custodial or non-custodial parent(s), or the state
**
Insurance coverage and payments for education
Parenting Methods and Practices
Parenting typically utilizes rewards,
praise and
punishment as tools of behavioral control. Some parents no longer consider
spanking a necessary punishment. Most experts now agree that physical punishment is not an effective behaviour modification tool, long-term. The term "child training" implies a specific type of parenting that focuses on holistic understanding of the child. The "
Taking Children Seriously" philosophy sees both praise and punishment as manipulative and harmful to children and advocates other methods to reach agreement with them. The term "
attachment parenting" seeks to create strong emotional bonds and avoid physical punishment, with discipline being accommodated by interactions recognizing a child's emotional needs.
*
Discipline:
**
Time-out**
Spanking**
Taking Children Seriously (TCS) philosophy
**
Parental supervision*
Parenting fundamentals:
**
Structure**
Accountability**
Consistency**
MotivationPregnancy and Prenatal Parenting
During
pregnancy the unborn child is affected by many decisions his or her parents make, particularly choices linked to their
lifestyle. The health and diet decisions of the mother can have either a positive or negative impact on the child.
Many people believe that parenting begins with birth, but the mother begins raising and nurturing a child well before birth.Scientific evidence indicates that from the sixth month on (and possibly earlier)the unborn baby is able to feel, hear, sense, be aware of, and possibly remember. Based on this evidence a mother begins parenting before birth.
Parenting Infants
Being the parent of an
infant is a major responsibility. Infants require a lot of care including (but not limited to) feeding, bathing, changing diapers, and health care.Common parenting issues in infancy:
*
Infant care:
**
Teething**
Sleep**
Breastfeeding**
Baby bottle**
Diaper rash**
Baby Colic**
Immunization**
Childhood development**
Paternal bondParenting Toddlers
Parenting a
Toddler is a lot of work. Parenting responsibilities during the toddler years include (but are not limited to) feeding, bathing, potty training, ensuring their safety, teaching, and attending to their wellness.Common parenting issues with toddlers: when to start swimming lessons;
*
Toilet training*
bathingPreschool Parenting
Parenting responsibilities for preschool age children often include (but are not limited to)feeding, bathing,teaching, ensuring their safety, and attending to their wellness. Parents are expected to make decisions about preschool education.Issues related to parenting preschool age children:
*
preschool education*
early childhood educationSchool Years
Parenting responsibilities during the school years include (but are not limited to) feeding, assisting with education, ensuring their safety and wellness, and providing them with a loving and nurturing home environment. Issues related to parenting school age children:
*
Education:
**
Kindergarten**
Primary education**
Adolescence**
Secondary education**
High schoolParents may receive assistance from a variety of individuals and organizations. Employers may offer specific benefits or programs for parents.
*
Parental leaveBenjamin Spock was an authority on parenting to a generation of North American parents. A current authority is
T. Berry Brazelton, the founder of the Child Development Unit at Children's Hospital,
Boston, and Professor of
Pediatrics Emeritus at
Harvard Medical School.
Also see
James DobsonThere are several parent self-report measures that have been developed for use by clinicians and researchers to assess parenting, such as the Parenting Stress Index (PSI; Abidin, 1995) and Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI; Bavolek, 1984). Parenting measures can also be observational, such as the Parent-Child Interaction Assessment-II (
PCIA-II; Holigrocki, Kaminski, & Frieswyk, 1999).
See:
* Abidin, R. (1995).
Parenting Stress Index: Professional Manual. 3rd Ed. Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc.
* Bavolek, S. J. (1984).
Handbook for the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory. Eau Claire, Wisconsin: Family Development Associates, Inc.
* Holigrocki, R. J, Kaminski, P. L., & Frieswyk, S. H. (1999). Introduction to the Parent-Child Interaction Assessment.
Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 63(3), 413–428.
*
Attachment parenting*
Empty nest syndrome*
List of child related articles*
Maternal bond and
paternal bond*
Parental alienation*
Single parent*
Parental leave*
Overparenting*
Raising Exceptional Children Successful Parenting Techniques -- From Brigham Young University
*
Raising Children Network Comprehensive, expert-reviewed resource -- the national parenting website of Australia
*
Natural Child Project Resources for parents
*
Fight 4 Kids Internet Parenting Support
*
Shared Parenting Works*
Being a Nurturing Parent From the University of Florida/IFAS
Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences
