Category: Parenting

Parenting is a form of bringing up a child. Different parents use different styles to raise their children. These parenting styles have positive and negative impacts on the young infants and the adolescents. The following are two different parenting styles; Authoritarian parenting and Permissive parenting.

Authoritarian parenting

This is whereby parents want their children to follow strict rules they establish. These parents do not listen to any questions from their children. The young infants grow up with severe fear in doing anything since their life is full of many threats. This parenting style does not provide a girl an opportunity to ask his/her mother a question. The parents deny their children especially the adolescents the right to express their feelings or decide on their own.

In this case, parents are real dictators in their families. Failure to obey such strict rules, usually results to punishment like beating, disclaimer for primary or secondary wants. These parents are extremely harsh on their children without caring if they are satisfied or sad. For example, if these parents find out that their children are friends with their opponents children, they do not even determine their behaviour. They only tell their children to finish that friendship immediately.

Permissive parenting

This is a technique where parents have remarkably few commands to perform to their children. They are more responsive than they are demanding. Being a brilliant example to children is also an applied technique in this style. It becomes easier to start up an immature child. For example, if a small baby goes borrowing from strangers, the parents try to tell them that it is filthy actions instead of beating them up. These parents are non-traditional or compassionate, do not require careful behaviour, allow ample self-regulation and avoid confrontation. They like it when they play the role of a friend other than that of a friend. They offer freedom to their children and are less demanding. This is a valid approach when dealing with puberty the parent is the best friend to the child rather than the peer group. These styles apply for the same objective; the children to be the best in behaving. Also they have different effects on these children (Darling, 1999).

Permissive parenting often results in children being not happy and rank low self- regulation. The children are more likely to experience problems with the administration and tend to perform poorly in school. The results of the child stress the parents seriously because of his/ her relationship with the authority. This is because the parent has remarkably few demands for the child. Lack of hostilities by parents to their children is still a cause for poor relationship with the administration.

The only advantages of this parenting style are that the child grows with respect and becomes obedient. Authoritarian approach leads to children who are not satisfied although uncommonly obedient. It also leads to children are behind by their peers (Hamner, Turner, 2001). The children grow up standing in lower social fit and self- esteem. As for the adolescents, they go expressing their problems to their peers who deceive them. This leads to cases like early pregnancy due to lack of knowledge. This becomes a serious problem to parents since another role of bring up another child becomes part of the other responsibility. Parents need to come up with specific parenting styles in order to get the best results from their children. This approach leads to considerable impacts on their children. All in all, children end up being exceedingly respectful (Laura. Munsch, 2011).

References

Darling, N. (1999) Parenting style and its correlates. Champaign: University of Illinois. Web.

Hamner, T., Turner, P. (2001) Parenting in contemporary society (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Web.

Laura, E., Munsch, J. (2011) An active learning approach. New York: Sage. Web.

Parenting is a very complex activity. Therefore, parents tend to apply styles that best suit their goals. The child-rearing style applied to a child has an impact on the childs growth and development. The style employed by the parent(s) can predict the future character of the child.

Authoritarian Style

Such parents completely control their childrens destiny, and they lay down rigid standards of conduct for their children to follow. Such parents do not explain the reasons for their behavior to their children. They express less warmth and affection to their children. They are usually very critical of their childrens behavior, and they do not offer any options to them. Children who are managed under this kind of parenting style are usually punished or scolded whenever they make mistakes.

They only focus their attention on their childrens bad behaviors and pays very little attention to their positive behaviors. As a result, these children have low self-esteem as well as poor social skills. They do not develop independent minds. Therefore, they can not think for themselves (Belsky, Gamble & Robins, 1984).

Permissive Style

In this case, the parents have very little control over their children. Such parents make very few rules, and they do very little to enforce those rules. They are not ready to be fully committed to routines, and they also want their children to have freedom of choice. They offer their children many options, even when the child is still too young to make good choices. They do not set consistent expectations and boundaries regarding their childrens behaviors.

They are usually warm and loving, no matter how the child behaves. They choose not to get involved in the childs behavior and, therefore, do not comment on their behavior. Such children normally grow up to become uncooperative and self-centered. They also grow up to be bossy, and since they are used to getting what they want (Belsky, Gamble & Robins, 1984).

Democratic Style

Democratic parents are committed to helping their children become responsible for themselves. They enable them to reflect on the consequences of their actions. They set clear and consistent expectations for their children and explain to them the reasons for their expectations. They also monitor the childrens behavior to ensure that they follow the rules and meet the expectations that they had set for them. Such parents focus on developing positive behavior in their children, and they do this by reinforcing good behavior. They teach their children good behavior instead of punishing them. As the children grow and mature, they involve them in making rules and activities in the family. They give choices to their children based on their abilities. Such children become self-confident and aggressive (Belsky, Gamble & Robins, 1984).

Authoritative Style

In this case, the parents set rules for their children, but they are more lenient. They let their children explore the world around them, and they also employ disciplinary methods that do not lower the childrens self-esteem. They take time to explain to the children the consequences whenever they fail to follow the rules. Such children become socially competent and independent. They are assertive and can make their own choices (Belsky, Gamble & Robins, 1984).

Parenting Choice

My parents style of parenting is authoritative, and it was influenced by my grandparents style of child-rearing. It was also influenced by the need to develop a stable personality in their children as well as the need to make their children more socially competent.

My preferred style of parenting is an authoritative style, given the positive growth and development that I have had through it. I have developed a dependable personality, and I have become socially competent and critical and logical thinker. To reinforce this kind of parenting, I will provide situations that require critical thinking to my children to develop their reasoning and to enhance their problem-solving skills. I will also provide guidance to their carrier developments.

Reference List

Belsky, J, Gamble, W, & Robins, E. (1984). The determinants of parental competence: Toward a contextual theory. In M. Lewis & L. Rosenblum (Eds.), Beyond the Dyad: Social Connections (Pp. 251-279). New York: Plenum.

Introduction

Nowadays bookstores and libraries provide a lot of literature for inexperienced parents who look for help both practical and theoretical advice. Published in 2008, Superpowers for Parents: The Psychology of Great Parenting and Happy Children by Stephen Briers serves as a good example of parental guide literature that deeply investigates psychological and social aspects of parenting. Despite the fact the book is not based on some specific practical research, it provides useful hints for parents on how to handle childrens bad behavior, manage their negative emotions, teach children to find inner strength. Whats more important, the book reveals the causes that underlie childrens bad behavior and helps parents find strengths to raise children with superpowers.

The author of the book is a renowned British clinical psychologist, Ph.D., Stephen Briers. The book handles the most emotional aspect of the process of child upbringing and is based on many previous publications of Behaviorists and Positive Psychology followers, as well as the latest researches in this field, that the author either supports or disapproves of.

The definition of discipline

First, the author defines what discipline should mean. From Briers point of view, discipline should include not only correction and punishment relations but parents ability to teach children to understand and cope with different emotions and feelings (Briers 14). This conviction is based on the results of clinical work with children of many years.

Second, the author expresses his discord with the ideas of Behaviorism that underrated small childrens intelligence. To support his idea, the author provides the findings of Jean Piaget who made a great contribution to the understanding of the stages of childrens intelligence development.

The researches aimed at understanding the reasons for bad childrens behavior

Besides, the author gives several examples that can help realize the reasons for bad behavior and look at the problem from a childs point of view. Thus, in one of the chapters of Mary Poppins a small boy Michael behaves naughty under the influence of some inner feeling he cant control that upsets him. Briers derives his suggestions from this story: If we want our children to master antisocial impulses we need to give them the skills to be able to do this (Briers 26).

In other words, the techniques of self-control can and should be taught. Moreover, Briers is convinced that the technique of counter-transference can be applied to the child-rearing process (Briers 16). This technique is based on the assumption that parents should not only notice the change in childrens behavior but realize what makes this change make them feel. This means that when a child misbehaves and demands something, parents feel uncomfortable and embarrassed with their rage trying to give way to their negative emotions. In this respect, Briers mentions that it is necessary to control parents emotions and in this way show children how to manage their own.

The technique of counter-transference applied to naughty children

In addition, Briers cites several types of research which indicate that children not only imitate their parents behavior, they share the same experience as they watch their mom or dad do something, i.e. the neurons in their heads get involved as if performing the same action. Moreover, some researchers found out that not only actions but emotions can be transmitted in this way. Briers provides the example of a mother with a child standing on a platform at night waiting for a train to support this suggestion (Briers 17).

The connection between parents and childrens emotions

In case of some dangerous situation, the psychologist states that a child can not perceive a situation objectively and he reads the emotions on the mothers face. That is why it is so important to control the feelings of anxiety and rage in front of children in terms of facial expressions and body language: Show the change you want to see in your child. There is no point in telling a child to calm down if you are agitated yourself. You need to calm down first so your child can see how it is done (Briers 22).

Important child-rearing strategies

Briers goes on by suggesting some general rules that help parents to develop childrens self-control and problem-solving skills, to overcome the feelings of stress and tension. One of the most important factors in child-rearing, according to the author, is to teach children to associate their emotions with vocabulary available to them: Children need to learn words for what they are feeling (Briers 24). Another crucial detail is to tell the child how you feel to help her put a name to her emotions (Briers 28). One more objective that parents should strive for is to set a childs mind to a positive experience to avoid a depressed mindset where bad events are perceived as permanent and have a far-reaching effect (Briers 93).

Thus, the main idea of the book is that happy parents have happy children and it is all in the hands of parents to master their self-control techniques so that their children could learn from them how to manage negative emotions, control rage, and overcome stress.

Conclusion

From my perspective, the book presents an excellent example of literature for parents. Nicely written, embracing various child-rearing techniques, with a lot of examples, the book is very easy to read. There is no unnecessary information, the narration is very light and up to a point. Divided into 7 chapters, the book provides a clearly and logically paragraphed reading matter. Besides, a lot of figures, pictures, bullet points, and summaries at the end of every chapter enhance the appeal of this book. The book is not very long, which I consider being an asset. Moreover, theory and practical examples are presented in a very readily interesting and convenient way. I would recommend this book to any parent who is looking for helpful hints and is concerned with their childs future.

Works Cited

Briers, Stephen. Superpowers for Parents: The Psychology of Great Parenting and Happy Children. UK: Pearson Education, 2008.

Introduction

Each of the people and children who inhabit our planet is a unique person. One can draw several parallels between infants around the world and find many similar points. However, despite this, numerous differences make each child different from the other. Each person, except identical twins, has a unique genetic structure that defines innumerable elements of life (Cavanaugh & Kail, 2015). Depending on the genetic characteristics, the infant can develop at different rates both physically and psychologically. Thanks to this, one infants nervous system can be much more durable than the other, which will manifest itself as a calmer character.

Main text

In addition to genetic predispositions, the influence of parents and their upbringing plays a huge role in the development of the baby even in the first months of life. Depending on how much attention is paid to the child, in what conditions he is, and how parents relate to him or her, the character will be formed. Therefore, it is essential to take a responsible approach to raising a baby, devoting enough time to help him or her develop in the right direction. Unfortunately, not all parents have the opportunity to take care of their children. Therefore, they resort to the services of nonparental infant care. That issue is very controversial, as many parents consider this method of upbringing unsuitable, as it supposedly can negatively affect the child. However, studies show that nonparental care does not have any definite advantages or disadvantages (Cavanaugh & Kail, 2015). When resorting to such a method of education, it all depends on the quality of the services received on the personal characteristics of the person who is involved in raising the child.

Conclusion

Thus, it is vital to pay attention to several parameters when choosing a specialist for child care. Firstly, parents need to make sure that you have the appropriate education to engage in this activity. New Jersey has similar requirements for a license, requiring an associate degree in child development or early childhood education (Worker Qualifications, n.d.). Also, knowledge of medicine and psychology is required, allowing to handle the child correctly. Secondly, parents should prefer large and trusted organizations responsible for the quality of services, rather than single specialists. Thirdly, they need to ensure that the presence of the employee in the life of the child will be regular.

References

Cavanaugh, J. C., & Kail, R. V. (2015). Human development: A life-span view. Cengage Learning.

Worker Qualifications. (n.d.). Daycare.com. Web.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a serious developmental disorder that affects one throughout the lifespan in terms of social interaction, social communication, and social imagination. Considering the nature of autism, parents encounter some uncommon difficulties in their caregiving responsibilities. The qualitative research was conducted on parental experience in caring for an autistic child based on the Family Life-Cycle Model.

The research findings showed that such experience significantly varies at certain levels of family development, including prediagnosis, diagnosis, family life adjustment, navigating the system, parental empowerment, and moving forward (DePape and Lindsay 571). Despite the challenges these families faced, parents also noted some benefits of caring for an autistic child, such as an improved relationship with a child and partners, increased patience, and a better capacity to address the ASD.

The BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) communities in the United Kingdom face some additional challenges and barriers in caring for a child with ASD. According to Slade, these involve lack of the disorder knowledge, considering autism as a curable condition, cultural stigma, and negative assumptions of healthcare system. Thus, it is crucial to improve the accessibility of service providers and involve people from local BAME communities. Furthermore, the proper support and increased awareness of ASD might facilitate social integration, academic performance, and fulfilling life for autistic children.

This implies a culturally specific program for inclusion, family-related care, and aid services (Autism in the BAME Community UK Conference). Munroe et al. identified the impact of minority experience for the African community in the UK, such as stigma, blame, and social isolation associated with traditional cultural patterns (807). It also leads to a painful state of cognitive dissonance for the parents. To conclude, the following results are highly significant for the clinical practice and healthcare policy in creating culturally coherent services and increasing awareness about ASD within immigrant communities in the UK.

Works Cited

Autism in the BAME Community Symposium, 2018, London, United Kingdom. Diverse Approach to Autism: Culture, Religion and Ethnicity. Paving the Future for Autism in BAME UK. Autism Voice UK.

DePape, Anne-Marie, and Sally Lindsay. Parents Experiences of Caring for a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Qualitative Metasynthesis. Qualitative Health Research, vol. 25, no. 4, 2014, pp. 569583.

Munroe, Kathryn, et al. The Experiences of African Immigrant Mothers Living in the United Kingdom with a Child Diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Disability & Society, vol. 31, no. 6, 2016, pp. 798819.

Slade, Guy. Diverse Perspectives: The Challenges for Families Affected by Autism From Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities. National Autistic Society, 2014.

Remarriages and step-parenting can be rewarding. However, the transition can be difficult for both the children and the new step-parents. One the one hand, the children have to accommodate the new caregivers and siblings. On the other hand, caregivers deal with their ex-spouses, child support, and managing the children. This paper will discuss the challenges such type of families experience, the stages of adjustments, and ways to deal with stepchildren.

The rate of divorced parents remarrying is high, which is approximately 60%, and due to this, the number of stepfamilies is growing (Higginbotham & Adler-Baeder, 2018). In the 1700-1800s, there were also high remarriage rates though it was due to deaths of the partner where people divorce then remarry. Stepfamilies are complex to handle as compared to an intact family. There could be issues of rejection of a child, which may lead to the step-parents confusion on their role in the family. Children are likely to have insecurities towards their step-parents because they fear disloyalty. If the child is being forced to respond to the new parents as though it was their birth parent, it may lead to rebellion and hostility towards the parents (Higginbotham & Adler-Baeder, 2018). The step-parents may also feel guilty because they may not receive acknowledgment and gratitude from the stepchildren. Guilt also intervenes if they do not have feelings that they initially had towards their partners child. Sexual tensions are also high in stepfamilies because the members have not been raised together. Therefore, the parents need to control their children to avoid sexual relations with each other.

According to research, stepfamilies come across development stages and adjustment periods, taking about seven years to complete (Ganong & Coleman, 2018). The first and early-stage is a fantasy where the new parents hope for immediate acceptance instead of building a personal relationship with their stepchildren and giving them space to know the parent better. The step-parents have to understand that they cannot walk into someones life and expect to be welcomed. The other stage is immersion, where the children have to adopt having a new stepmother or stepfarther. At this stage, the children can feel a sense of betrayal from their natural parents because they are not with them all the time, and they can think that they are abandoned. The third stage is where members consider their feelings and start mapping out their territories. Children in this stage begin to feel separated from their biological family, and the birth parents will show resentfulness. Mobilization is the stage where the step-parents are more interested in being respected as a family member rather than pleasing them (Raiely & Sweeney, 2020). The children may begin expressing their frustrations. The final step is where the relationships in the family begin to be genuine and more intimate. There is also more stability and security in the family.

Step-parents need to be aware of several pointers in order to avoid miscommunication in the future. The first is that the step-parent must not replace the childrens biological parents but must be an additional parenting figure. A child cannot have many loving adults in their lives, and therefore, a step-parent must allow them to have a relationship with their biological parents. Second, one must not expect instant acceptance from their stepchildren. Instead, they should build a relationship with them and provide space for them to know their step-parents. Respect the stepchildrens feelings and get involved without expectations is also a must (Ganong et al., 2019). It is not advisable to jump into the disciplinarian role early. The parent must know them first and be in a supportive role. The biological parents are ideally supposed to be the disciplinarian. Moreover, step-parents should be able to protect their children from conflicts. Even though one may have fights with ones stepchildrens parents, they should try not to get the children involved. This will create loyalty between the stepchildren and the parent because they will feel respected and, in turn, respect their step-parent. No matter how the stepchildren treat the step-parent, it is important to get used to holding ones words and instead focus on how one is going to build a long-term relationship. Lastly, as step-parents, one should support ones partner in having personal time with their children (Raly & Sweeney, 2020). The mistake parents often do is trying to do everything together and not giving ones spouse and their children to bond. The children are likely to resent because they need a one-on-one bond with their parents.

As a result of research, remarriages and stepfamilies should focus more on building communication, which should be open and frequent. This will bring more connection and create fewer opportunities for miscommunication. Communication says a lot about the trust levels between family members. It is advisable to talk as much as possible to remove any uncertainty about family issues. Moreover, step-parents should avoid holding grudges and keeping emotions bottled up, instead addressing all conflicts positively. Lastly, people need to learn how to listen to others respectfully and establish a non-judgmental atmosphere. Engagement in inactivates together to provide chances for a communication is also essential.

References

Ganong, L., & Coleman, M. (2018). Studying stepfamilies: Four eras of family scholarship. Family Process.

Ganong, L., Jensen, T., Sanner, C., Russell, L., Coleman, M., & Chapman, A. (2019). Linking stepfamily functioning, marital quality, and steprelationship quality. Family Relations, 64), 469483.

Higginbotham, B. J., & Adler-Baeder, F. (2018). Assessing beliefs about remarriages and stepfamilies: The remarriage belief inventory. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 483-4), 3354.

Raly, K., & Sweeney, M. M. (2020). Divorce, partnering, and stepfamilies: A decade in review. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82(1), 8199.

Many factors and coincidences shape human life. The environment, especially the close ones, for example, the family, decisions made, and various events form a particular path-dependency of ones life with a corresponding outcome. In the book Wes Moore The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates, the author tells the story of two men with the same names but completely different fates. The books author is a scientist from Rhodes, a White House employee, and a former army officer. His namesake is a drug dealer, robber, and murderer, sentenced to life and serving time in prison, from which he will be released only after his death. Both Wes Moores grew up in a low-income environment and faced problems related to illegal drugs and violence in their youth. One of the books main takeaways is that the author had networks of support and role models that led him to positive decisions, including having an education, while the unsuccessful Moore is a victim of the injustice of chance and history. Thus, the causal connection between the structural capabilities of a person and their life comes to the fore, which is of paramount importance for the formation of a persons fate: their environment or individual agency and personal responsibility. From this perspective, it is crucial to consider the discussion about the influence of parents on children. The designated question opens up two points of view on this question.

On the one hand, it is argued that parents are fundamental in shaping childrens life chances. On the other hand, there is an opinion that, in reality, parents influence on the childs fate is not so significant. In the future, other factors appear, such as the childs personal choice, that is, individual agency, or other structural factors, such as secondary socialization and more abstract social barriers. This paper argues that although there are exceptions, in general, parents influence in the first stages of life lays the foundation for building the further trajectory of a childs life.

At present, a large number of studies have been devoted to the problem of child-parental relations, both in domestic and foreign psychology. Many authors, such as Vygotsky, Freud, Erickson, and others, consider the family the most critical factor in developing a childs personality (Csathó and Birkás). The family is the first social institution in which the childs needs for safety, love, respect and emotional support are met. Studying the sources, driving forces, and conditions for the development of the psyche and the childs personality as a whole, we can say that all the childs mental development is primarily mediated by communication and the peculiarities of interaction with adults, especially with parents. The physical and mental development of a child largely depends on the childs communication with an adult, and on how this communication proceeds, especially in the context of child-parent relations (Perry). How much the childs need for interaction with other people is satisfied, how parent-child relationships develop, how harmonious and favorable they are, will depend not only on the development of character traits, personal qualities, self-esteem, the childs attitude, but also on all their further relationships with other people, and with peers, and with the adults around them.

The child is also highly dependent on the attitude that adults show them, and it is in communication through the mechanism of imitation that the child learns how people interact with each other. Studies have shown that the mental development of a child is determined by their emotional contact and the peculiarities of cooperation with parents. As Csathó and Birkás state, Early-life experiences not only influence personal life history strategy; they may also sensitize individuals to adversity, influencing how they respond to adversity in later life. (p.311). Thus, it can be argued that the formation of parent-child relationships is influenced by the type of family, the position taken by adults, the styles of relationships, and the role they assign to the child in the family (Härkönen). At the same time, family relationships can be multifaceted, and an ineffective type of parental relationship leads to anxiety in the child (Härkönen). At present, the family upbringing factors, and above all the family dynamics, are singled out as the basic cause of childrens anxiety. It is especially relevant concerning the link between low income and emotional support: larger social networks and more emotional support from those networks have been linked to higher maternalchild responsiveness and better cognitive stimulation among lowincome families (Morris et al., p.391).

An adult for a child, especially in older preschool age, is a constant attractive center around which the childs life is built. This creates a need for children to act in their own way. At the same time, they want to reproduce the individual actions of an adult and imitate all the complex forms of their activity, their actions, their relationships with other people  in a word, the whole way of life of adults (FayStammbach, Tracey, et al). In addition to the imitation mechanism, in the case of insufficient care and love that the child receives in the family, the child satisfies these manifestations in relations with peers through the compensation mechanism.

Moreover, in addition to the formation of personality traits, parents contribute to the fact that they set social norms for their childrens behavior. In everyday life, adults make specific demands on children, such as accuracy, conscientiousness, organization, compassion, kindness, and more. To fulfill the required norms, children are approved for violation  they are censured or even resort to punishment. Moreover, in the older preschool age, adults approval, especially parents, means so much to children that they try to deserve it with their behavior. Thus, in the practice of their daily life, preschoolers develop the required behavioral habits and some generalized meaning of many ethical norms that guide them in what is good and what is bad. That is, thanks to interaction in the family, where the child first acquires the social experience of interaction, the child themselves selects those rules and norms that are accepted in their social environment (but whether they are true or wrong is a matter of time) and makes them the rules of their own behavior (Perry). For example, in play, a child seeks to embody the behavior taken as a model and then seeks to embody it in real life when interacting with people around them  adults and peers.

Thus, the parent-child relationship is such a component that affects all spheres of the childs personality: emotional, communicative, cognitive, and many others. The interaction of a child with parents is the first experience of interaction with the outside world, which is consolidated, and as a result, it forms specific patterns of behavior with other people  both with adults and with peers. This leads to the formation of both the qualities (properties) of the childs personality and the strategies of the childs interaction with peers. It is essential to know all the directions of the formation of different qualities, personality traits, and forms of interaction to correct them and help the child build adequate ways of interacting with the people around them. The fact that parents play a decisive role in the future of the child is confirmed by two stories of different destinies in the book Moore. Aspirations and patterns of behavior shape future options for children. So, the unsuccessful Moore largely fell into an unfortunate path-dependency for the reason that his father abandoned him and while being a criminal and drug dealer exposed his son to similar patterns. Although his son was trying to achieve a better future, February 7, 2000, was a pivotal moment when the behaviors learned through his father took over and he robbed a jewelry store. Another Wes Moore, the author of the book, also came from a similar social environment, that is, the structural conditions were the same, with a predominance of poverty and criminality. However, he managed to avoid bad luck insofar as he was fortunate enough to have healthy relationships with his parents and, accordingly, desirable role models, as well as support. The most important step taken by his mother was to send him to the military academy and Valley Forge College. Thus, the aspirations of parents and a healthy relationship with them lay the foundation for an exit from a disadvantaged environment.

Works Cited

Csathó, Árpád, and Béla Birkás. Early-life stressors, personality development, and fast life strategies: An evolutionary perspective on malevolent personality features. Frontiers in psychology 9 (2018): 305-321.

FayStammbach, Tracey, et al. Parenting influences on executive function in early childhood: A review. Child development perspectives 8.4 (2014): 258-264.

Härkönen, Juho, et al. Family dynamics and child outcomes: An overview of research and open questions. European Journal of Population 33.2 (2017): 163-184.

Moore, Wes. The Other Wes Moore: One name, two fates. Spiegel & Grau, 2011.

Morris, Amanda Sheffield, et al. Targeting parenting in early childhood: A public health approach to improve outcomes for children living in poverty. Child development 88.2 (2017): 388-397.

Perry, Nicole B., et al. Maternal socialization of child emotion and adolescent adjustment: Indirect effects through emotion regulation. Developmental psychology 56.3 (2020): 541-557.

The social competence of children is usually associated with authoritative parenting of all parenting styles, in which parents balance the demands of the child and responsiveness. Therefore, children raised with parents under authoritative parenting have advantages in early peer relationship competencies, rarely use illicit substances during puberty, and have higher levels of emotional well-being. Authoritative parents have high hopes for the maturity and competence of their children but are always ready to discuss their concerns with their children.

The main challenge for authoritative parents is to build trusting and open relationships by setting rules and boundaries and using open discussion and reasoning. In this model, parents explain and argue their actions, allowing children to understand their parents better. Authoritative parents treat their children with respect, making them more socially active, independent, and happy (Santrock, 2010). They have higher academic performance and are less prone to violence than children raised in other parenting models. However, in many parenting models, the problem of physical punishment of children persists.

Nevertheless, any physical punishment exacerbates the situation and catalyst for more severe problems. Spanking and hitting often lead to increased aggression or antisocial behavior, mental problems, and taking out anger on other people. Physical punishment does not help children learn responsibility and independence or develop a conscience or self-control (Miller-Perrin & Perrin, 2018). This type of punishment only draws attention to a specific case but does not explain why this should not be done in the future. Moreover, children learn to perceive the world around them by the example of their parents. Thus, those parents who apply physical punishment to children can teach them how to resolve conflicts with the help of aggression and pain. This type of upbringing destroys the bond and trusting relationship with parents and threatens to degenerate into more severe physical abuse.

Reference

Miller-Perrin, C., & Perrin, R. (2018). Physical punishment of children by US parents: moving beyond debate to promote childrens health and well-being. Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica, 31, 25-28.

Santrock, J. (2010). A Topical Approach to Life-Span Development (10^th ed.). McGraw-Hill Publishers. New York, NY.

The purpose of the work is to demonstrate how parental involvement influences the academic and social life of the individual from the perspective of several theoretical notions and models. Thereby, the overarching research question examines the reason for parental engagements positive impact and mechanisms of parental and school/college/university cooperation. Besides, there will be described several sub-questions in the paper, which are mentioned below.

1. What is the most effective form of parental engagement?
2. How does the language model impact the childs social experience and immigrants?
3. What are the mainstream theories/models parental involvement notion is part of/correlates with?
4. What is the role of parental engagement in the native memory of the child?

The topic of the work is parental involvement in schools and its influence. Thereby, in order to make my study cogent, it is crucial to be based on the theoretical ground. The first theory mentioned by Sujarwoto et al. (2021) illustrates the forms of parental engagement, namely parent/child contact, parent/teacher contact, and child/parent/teacher contact. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning the language model described by Herrera et al. (2020) and Sheldon & Vorbeck (2019), which frames the importance of parental participation for social adaptation. Besides, parental involvement in the theoretical aspect appears as part of the mainstream social development theory (Parke et al., 2019). Finally, the paper was based on the student development theory mentioned by Garvey et al. (2019), the aims of which correlate with parental participation goals.

Since I have outlined the theories above and clarified their essence, it is necessary to denote how they undergird my work. Primarily, it is explained by the essence of parental involvement having similar goals to some theories. In addition, the models mentioned above describe the mechanisms of this process, which formulate additional information about the topic. Finally, it clarifies the relevance of study due to the positive impact on a persons life, which includes either educational both social dimensions.

References

Garvey, G. C., Harris, J. C., Means, D. R., Perez, R. J., & Porter, C. J. (2019). Case studies for student development theory: advancing social justice and inclusion in higher education. Routledge.

Herrera, S. G., Porter, L., & Alva, K. B. (2020). Equity in school-parent partnerships: Cultivating community and family trust in culturally diverse classrooms. Teachers College Press.

Parke, R. D., Roisman, G. I., & Rose, A. J. (2019). Social development. (3^rd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

Sheldon, S. B., & Vorbeck, T. A. (2019). The Wiley handbook of family, school, and community relationships in education. John Wiley & Sons.

Sujarwoto, S., Kusumawardani, E., Prasetyo, I., & Herwin, H. (2021). Parent involvement in adolescents education: A case study of partnership models. CIES, 16(4), 1563-1581. Web.

Introduction

Vaccination has become an issue of discussion for years now due to indifferences on whether or not they should be given to children and if they should be optional or mandatory. Benefits of vaccinating children are numerous considering the condition of childrens immune system at birth. However, some people are against it because of various reasons, some of which are religious. Although the reasons given against vaccination are not justifiable and medically defendable, they affect the rate of vaccinations worldwide. Anti-vaccination exposes children to many diseases, including deadly measles. Some of the diseases vaccinated against are incurable and transmittable, and therefore, should be prevented by all means. People in opposition of vaccinations argue that it is unethical to vaccinate children (Star Editorial Board, par. 2-15). They also argue that todays immunizations have increased, and they expose children to more risks than the diseases against which they are vaccinated. This essay will justify that parents should accept child vaccination because it saves lives, prevents the spread of deadly diseases, and myths about immunization are baseless and untrue.

Vaccines Prevent the Spread of Deadly Diseases

Based on current situations, vaccines have proved to be instrumental in preventing the spread of deadly diseases. Coronavirus disease, commonly referred to as Covid-19, emerged for the first time in late 2019 in China, and by March 2020, it had spread to almost all regions worldwide. The spread was promoted by the movement of people from one place to the other. Since the virus had not been experienced before, there was no vaccine against it. However, pharmaceutical companies and medical institutions have been developing vaccines to stop the spread of the virus. Despite the availability of various treatment attempts, the rate at which it spreads is astonishing. The risks exposed to vulnerable groups in the society such as children, elderly and people with pre-existing medical conditions are catastrophic. These special groups are at a higher risk of contracting diseases since their immune system is weak. Therefore, children should receive immunizations to prevent the risk of contracting diseases which would increase their vulnerability to deadly infections, such as Covid-19. To curb the pandemic, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and public health organizations recommend using vaccines alongside other preventive measures, such as social distances and the use of face masks, to prevent the spread of the virus (National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases). Although everyone in the world can see the effects and the threat of the virus, there are people against mandatory vaccinations (Keenan, par. 2,4). They argue that it infringes individual liberties and citizens rights. Despite the vaccine being life-saving, it has become even more difficult for health institutions to continue developing vaccines. The delayed vaccines outcomes are an increased number of new infections and deaths resulting from the virus. However, the anti-vaxxers, though against vaccination, do not offer an alternative solution to the pandemic, exposing the public to more threats. Inoculations have been proven effective in preventing the spread of deadly diseases such as polio, and whooping cough, among others (Keenan), necessitating that children should continue receiving shots. Anti-vaxxers could object to this point by arguing that lifestyles and the general environment have changed over the years, and so have the infections. Moreover, anti-vaxxers would state that people have the rights over their lives, and therefore vaccines should not be mandated. However, in cases where the diseases dealt with are highly contagious and threaten societys lives at large, health systems overlook personal rights and preferences to save the public. Child vaccination prevents the contraction of fatal diseases and, in the long run, reducing mortality rates. Another example of a deadly disease whose vaccination has reduced mortality rates is measles (Star Editorial Board, par. 2). Immunization against measles dates back to over 50 years, and the results have been unmatched. However, despite the disease being highly contagious and a potential cause of death, people have become reluctant to vaccinate. The hesitation resulted in measles resurgence, which caused approximately 10 million infections and nearly 150,000 deaths worldwide in 2018 (Star Editorial Board, par. 2-5). The disease is associated with many negative impacts, such as blindness, pneumonia, and brain swelling. Hesitancy does affect not only immunization against measles, but also other vaccines, such as HPV, which safeguards against cervical cancer. Indeed, child immunization is fundamental in preventing the spread of deadly illnesses, and parents should embrace it. Countries with controlled diseases such as measles are now experiencing a comeback, which is riskier to the unvaccinated population. Most people against vaccinations received the medications in their childhood, and whenever they fall sick, they visit hospitals for treatment, ultimately nullifying their argument. Additionally, vaccinations eradicate person-to-person spread of diseases such as rubella saving even more lives. Complete immunization against rubella in the western hemisphere prevents people from contracting it and prevents its spread in case of any contraction. With no doubts, vaccination is essential in prevention of fatal diseases.

Vaccines Save Lives

Despite the changes that the health sector has experienced globally, it has become a norm, and people no longer acknowledge the threats exposed to their children before they get vaccinated. A newborn has no guard in their body against any disease, and therefore, close contact with an infected person puts them a risk of contracting them. Since the body cannot fight the disease, the baby can succumb to it. In most cases, doctors cannot tell the side effects of immunizations, but they focus on the drugs primary purpose, preventing infections (Nemitz, par. 15-18). Prior to its administration to a child, the vaccine is tested and confirmed for the recipients wellbeing. Concern about the safety of vaccines, therefore, should be a non-issue to medical professional ethics (Szabo, par. 6-10). Doctors, nurses and all other workers in the health industry take oaths to ensure they serve the public with humanity. Their primary objective is to improve patients health and prevent infections. Therefore, claiming that vaccines are motivated by profits is untrue and against doctors ethics. However, those against vaccines would argue that doctors have been involved in drug promotion for various pharmaceutical companies for financial gain in the past, yet it is unethical. It is important to note that there is a special category of children who should not receive vaccines because they are immune-suppressed. Such face even more risks of contracting diseases from the people who must have benefited from vaccinations, but their parents rejected them. Gunlock posits that parents should ensure children are immunized to improve safety for the immune-suppressed people. Children interact with people in various environments, including schools, playgrounds, churches, and many more. Such exposures pose health risks to those who could not receive vaccines following their health conditions, such as genetic disorders, and must interact with their peers. To ensure that all children in learning institutions are safe regardless of their unique conditions, especially those that concern health, all parents should be proactively seeking prevention through vaccinations and other methods. Children become uncomfortable in response to immunizations, but there are more meaningful reasons to embrace child vaccination, as explained. Today, very few children die from preventable diseases, which has resulted to reduced child death rates worldwide.

Myths on Vaccines

There are many myths against vaccines, which bring confusion mostly to uneducated persons. People against vaccination argue that mandatory vaccines given to children infringe on their rights and liberty. However, individual privileges can be interfered with by the states to protect public health. A good example of a myth that has, for many years, underscored non-vaccination is the belief that vaccines increase the risk of autism infections. Unlike before, children today receive more vaccines at short intervals. Szabos (par. 3-6) research shows that are afraid of exposing children to autism due to frequent immunization. However, until today, there is no established relationship between vaccines and autism. Children get more injections today than two decades ago, but their vaccines are easier on their immune system than those used before. Modern vaccines are complex, and a few antigens administered to children spur the production of antibodies that prevent future infections. However, despite the numerous studies showing no connection between vaccines and autism, the myth still holds to many parents worldwide. Although signs of autism are realized after 12 months from birth, they are likely to result from changes that occur before conception and birth. Additionally, it is misconceptions that vaccines are profit-motivated, and therefore, there exists collaboration between pharmaceutical companies and physicians. People against vaccine also argue that physicians boast about vaccination among their patients, and the higher the number of vaccinated children, the higher the financial gain. Pharmaceutical companies that develop the vaccines are blamed for introducing many injections, which are overwhelming to the childs body. However, this claim is presumptive because, whether the drugs are profit-motivated or not, they achieve their primary role in preventing diseases. When children miss immunization, they are likely to contract diseases in case of an outbreak, and in worst case scenario, die. People also argue that various pharmaceutical companies brought opioids so that they could sell their vaccines (Nemitz, par. 15). Still, no connection has been found between vaccines and opioids. Another example of an untrue claim concerns religious beliefs, which have undermined the purpose of vaccination, although there are no major religions that prohibit it (Star Editorial Board, par. 4-6). However, people against vaccines claim to use them or not solely dependent on a persons beliefs or relationships. Anti-vaxxers who use faith as a defense for non-vaccination, at one-point visit hospitals, especially when suffering from critical illnesses or when the impacts of not vaccinating their children worsen. The question of partial trust in their faith arises since they still need a hospital for treatments. All the myths about vaccines are either unproven, that is, they cannot be defended scientifically or medically, or are inclined into personal interests or beliefs, and therefore should not reach the public.

Conclusion

Overall, parents should have their children vaccinated because the drugs are safe and are meant to boost a childs immunity. They primarily save lives for both the younger people and the older generations. Moreover, immunization is crucial in preventing the spread of deadly diseases, which are costly and overwhelming to public health. Lastly, children should receive vaccines because fairytales against the drugs are presumptive, without medical proof, and parents could expose their children and society to more threats if they adhere to such myths. Anti-vaxxers should focus on bettering peoples lives but not exposing the public to health risks.

Works Cited

Gunlock, Julie. Con: Dont Mandate, but Nudge Parents Hard to Vaccinate their Kids. Tri-cityherald, 2018. Web.

Keenan, William. In light of Coronavirus Epidemic, Vaccines Should be Mandatory. Badgerherald,  2020. Web.

National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases. CDCs Response, 2020.

Nemitz, Bill. The Truth is Vaccines Save Maine kids lives. Lets Keep it that Way. Portland Press Herald, 2020.

Ontario Should End Religious Exemption for Vaccination. Thestar, 2020. Web.

Szabo, Liz. Full Vaccine Schedule Safe for Kids, no Link to Autism. Usatoday, 2013.