Parenting

Introduction

Parenting or child rearing is described a process to support and promote physical, social and intellectual development of the child. Apart from the biological relationship parents are responsible for the upbringing of the children. In the positive parenting of children the role of both the parents as well as children is equally important. The aim and objective of this essay is also to talk about parenting.

Thesis Statement

The purpose of this essay is to discuss how different factors of parenting can affect the parenting and child development. Different factors of parenting that this essay explores are styles of parenting, characteristics of parents and relationship of parents with children.

Discussion

Parenting is considered largely in terms of the facilitation of child development. Research into the effects of parenting styles have indicated that it is behavior which is sensitive to children's needs and responsive to the demands of different development tasks that promotes optimal child development (Giovannoni, pp. 234). Howe (1995) observed that securely attached infants had mothers who consistently demonstrated four dimensions of sensitivity, responsivity, accessibility and co-cooperativeness in their care giving (Howe, pp. 29). Mothers of insecure ambivalent infants showed less responsiveness and mothers of insecure avoidant infants were more rejecting with less emotional warmth and expression (Falchikov, pp. 510). Study into parenting breakdown similarly included parenting measures of: social communication and emotional expressiveness; joint play; disciplinary control and sensitivity to the child's cues, approaches and distress. Studies have also noted that some children are subject to particular styles of parenting that will adversely affect their development.

In terms of the characteristics of the parent, the way in which a parent manages the parenting task is widely regarded as being influenced by the quality of care that they received as a child (Scott, pp. 90). Particular significance is given to how parent's internal working models ...