Distal Parenting

When a person becomes a parent, their role in life undoubtedly changes. The person must become a teacher, a guide, and a helping hand in the life of the child. Research has shown that there is a distinct connection between how a child is raised and their overall developmental outcome. John Bowlby’s attachment theory emphasizes the importance of the regular and sustained contact between the parent-infant or parent-child relationship (Travis & Waul 2003). Yet, what happens when the only physical contact a child can share with their parent is a hand pressed on the shield of glass that separates the two? What happens when the last memory of their mother or father was from the corner of their own living room as they watched their parent

The four primary parenting styles are Authoritarian, Permissive, Authoritative, and Uninvolved parenting styles. Authoritarian parents are very controlling and strict with their children. They expect obedience form their children and don’t tolerate expressions of disagreement. In contrast, Permissive parents are more relaxed and provide inconsistent feedback. They require little of their children and don’t see themselves as responsible for their children’s behavior. They also don’t set limits or control over their children. Authoritative parents are firm and set clear and consistent limits for their children. While they tend to be strict they show love and emotional support for them as well. These parents tend to reason with their child as to why they should behave a certain way. These parenting styles also encourage the child to be independent. The fourth parenting style is uninvolved parenting style. These parents show interest in their children and display indifferent or rejecting behavior towards them. They detach emotionally and only see themselves as providers of materials goods such as shelter, food, and clothing.

Infants go through different developmental stages. It is a part of the human life cycle. The beginning stages of an infant’s life is the most developing (Payne & Issacs, 2012). One of the stages that infant go through is the Late Infancy Stage. During the Late Infancy Stage, infants between 7-9 months reach many different milestones. As the infant grows and becomes aware of their surrounding the more developed they become. Infants discover new things daily and it is important to support their growth. Late Infancy stage involves the gross motor, fine motor, oral- motor, cognitive language, personal and social

Psychologists have always debated the role of parenting styles and their influence on the development of children. Parenting styles can be defined as the psychological construct representing the basic strategies that parent use in raising their child (Matsumoto, Juang 2013 p.69). Parenting styles encompass two major aspects of parting those being parental responsiveness and paternal demanding. Paternal responsiveness is essentially the extent at which a parent fosters individuality, self-regulation, and self-assertion. While paternal demanding is the measure of which the parent makes the child

A parent’s parenting styles are as diverse as the world we live in today. Nowadays, parents only want what is best for their children and their parenting styles plays a crucial role in the development of children which will in the long run, not only effect the child’s childhood years, but later prolong into their adult life as well.

Within the outline of attachment theory, Mary Ainsworth was the first to provide a detailed description of maternal sensitivity. Maternal sensitivity is a mother 's ability to perceive and understand the meaning behind her infant 's behavioral signals, and to respond to them quickly and appropriately. In study with 73 mothers and their second-born child, stability and main-level differences between measures of maternal sensitivity across settings and over time were studied. Maternal sensitivity was considered at three and six months during bathing, free play on mother’s lap and the starting point and gathering episode of the Still Face Paradigm. Harsh discipline was predicted by maternal sensitivity at three months, which was fully mediated by maternal sensitivity at six months. The widespread attention for sensitive parenting behavior is certainly not without ground, since many studies have shown major relationships between maternal sensitivity and a variety of positive outcomes such as secure attachment, self-regulation, social functioning, and cognitive competence. What started with Ainsworth’s elaborate full-day observation developed into more well-organized methods used across a variety of settings ranging from natural daily routines to play and stress-encouraging patterns.

This can first be seen with the oldest (first born) child where they seem to be more cautious and in need of help. The first born child in most cases is smothered by the mother and father and is protected from anything dangerous for the parents have no experience on what to let their child do. The parents always seem to be worrying when any imperfections arise like sickness or a dangerous situation. This rubs off on to the child making them very cautious of their surroundings and their actions. On top of caution towards the infant the mom and dad help the baby with everything, and are by the child’s side at all times. In doing so the parents are stopping the child from growing up to be not be independent and always need assistance or guidance

However, Belsky and Rovin argued that individual differences in attachment relate to both theories because different temperaments will present different challenges to the caregiver, a ‘slow to warm up’ baby would need more encouragement, which may influence the formation of a secure attachment.

Parenting and attachment styles influence the temperament during infancy and toddler years. Parenting styles are strategies and techniques that parents use during child rearing. Attachment refers to a secure emotional connection, such as a union among a mother and child. Temperament is the nature of an individual in which affects behavior. Parenting and attachment work hand in hand with influencing the temperament of the child. Three types of children are form upon identifying the characteristics of their behavior; the easy child, the difficult child and the slow-to-warm-up child (Berk, 2010). The easy child embrace new experiences and form consistent schedules. The difficult child is challenged by new experiences and often display negative reactions. The slow-to-warm-up child shy away from routine and gradually envelope new experiences. These characteristics of the child ultimately express their social-emotional development, which is influenced by their initial interaction with parents and caregivers. In example, the easy child’s parents provides high levels of trust, encouraging the infant with feeling secure. In return, the child feels as though the world is trustworthy, making is easier to face new experiences. This dictates the behavior they express toward others. Parenting and forms of attachment play an essential role in both the temperament and social-emotional development of the child. Furthermore, an analysis of the affects that authoritative and permissive

Much emphasis has been placed in the field of child development and the role that early providers possess when it comes to the needs of children at the early stages of life. Whether conceptualizing socialization and priming with Locke’s “tabula rosa/blank slate” or Rousseau’s “preassembled moral schema” approach to child development, this “window of opportunity” is both fleeting and permanent. Every interaction molds the individual into the person they are to become, and the bond that the dependent child forms with the caregiver is a precedent to the numerous relationships and attachments they will create as an adult. Granted that the provider/nurturer fulfills the needs of attachment and attentiveness for the offspring, this will determine the success of progressing through child developmental stages, and leads to a higher propensity of social adaptiveness. Inversely, if the aforementioned things are absent in a child’s early years, detrimental effects could occur, including stints in physical, social, and mental development. This is dependent upon the severity and duration of neglect, and has been seen in clinical cases that appears as psychological phenomena to both the general public, and researchers alike.

• Evaluate the different types of parenting styles and their influence on development during infancy and early childhood.

Research has shown that the way the caregiver and infant interact has a significant effect on the maturation of the infant's nervous system,

The last parenting style is uninvolved style. This is when the parent is cold and not strict. The parent is not involved with their children. They don’t have time for their children. Children with these parents end up acquiring many problems. “poor emotional self regulation, school achievement difficulties and frequent antisocial acts…” (Berk 389). As it mentions in Infants, Children and Adolescents, when this becomes extreme, this parenting style can be categorizes as neglect.

Infants are a special cohort of a population in the society. Children between the ages of five months to two years are at a stage where they start familiarizing with their surroundings and have different reactions to situations. The surrounding where an infant grows greatly determines his or her development. The primary determinant of the development of infants is the parent-infant interaction (Crain, 2015). The first bond or relation of a child is with its biological parents or guardians in the case of orphaned children.

Infant development is inseparable from the progression of the infant’s relationship with caregivers. Contemporary accounts of the early comments highlighted the role of parents and other guardians in supporting infants gradually (Lyons-Ruth & Zeanah, 1993). This is because the infant needs parents who can help her negotiate the developmental task. Thus, there are 4 stages to develop which is birth to 4 weeks, age 1 to 3 months, 3 to 6 months and 6 to 12 months.