Influences That Affect Children and Young People’s Development.

Parents that are going through a marriage breakdown, divorce and separation can be stressful for all involved particularly the children/young person. They can become emotionally withdrawn and suffer a lack of confidence which can create low self esteem. Due to family upheaval, they may lose focus in their own abilities and suffer mentally. Similarly, children

If a child is in poor health then this will have an impact on their development. For example, a child with uncontrolled asthma or cystic fibrosis may not be able to run around and be as active as their peers. Therefore, this would mean that his physical development might not be the same. Not being able to play outside would almost certainly affect the social development, as children make many friendships on the playground and at after school clubs.

Disability brings problems to schools too causing the child to be disadvantaged. These could include lack of specialist staff or poor staff knowledge which can lead to lack of socialisation and integration into the school.

Learning Outcome: Understand the expected pattern of development for children and young people from birth - 19 years.

A child with learning problems may be many developmental years behind their peers, this will have a big impact on what they can do in all areas of development including physical skills, social skills and intellectual skills. They may find it especially hard to interact with children of the same age or stay interested in conversation. They may also need to have one-to-one lessons at school to help educate them as they may not be at the same cognitive stage as peers. This may leave them feeling left out.

If for example a child has not attended a nursery or play group in their early years this can often set them back from what development stage they should be at when attending school. This could be the lack of nursery places, not good enough teachers to the child having a learning disability that has not been identified yet.

Children and young people often experience many things which have a direct impact on their development; things such as their family environment and structure, personality, hospital visits, childcare arrangements, and culture.

A child’s mother who provides consistent responsive care and nurturing is most often the first adult whom a child becomes attached to. This adult may also include the child’s father, grandparents, siblings or others who have regular contact with the child (Kostelnik et al. 2015, p.30). The relationship established between the child and their primary caregiver is one of the child's very first child-adult relationships. This relationship provides the child with a safe and secure context for their learning and development. Children need consistent, secure emotional relationships with their primary caregivers and other adults to feel safe, protected, and nurtured, as they grow and develop. When establishing a positive adult-child relationship caregivers must keep five essential elements in mind: warmth, acceptance, genuineness, empathy and respect (Kostelnik et al. 2015, p.28). It is through these and other practices, that adults are able to aid children in developing positive social relationships. By forming such early relationships and strong connections with others, children build a sense of self-competence in knowing where they fit into the

A child’s development can be measured through physical and language milestones, intellectual, emotional and social development.

All of these potential effects could have repercussions for the quality of the relationship between the parents and it can divide the family.

This has been called deficit theory. There has been much critique about this theory because it fails to bring into focus the influence of the school. Home and school are not separate entities when considering student success. They need to work symbiotically.

The study of child development is an important study for researchers to engage in today. This is because, it helps us to understand how experiences in childhood can impacts individuals as adults. The study of child development is important to study, and help children through life. From research, through the study of child development, it was found that secure infant attachments affects adults and how they are able to carry on with romantic relationships later in life. People study child development out of curiosity or interest, personal development or career, and for scientific research. The study of child development helps us understand the correlation between events and experiences in early childhood, and the events, incidents, and experiences

What is child development? “Child development refers to the process through which human beings typically grow and mature from infancy through adulthood.” It also, “… focuses on the changes that take place in humans as they mature from birth to about age 17.” What is considered a good home? “There are three key elements in building a peaceful life: the relationships between family members, the atmosphere of the home itself, and the way the home is run.” “…our home and family are where we should feel most comfortable in the world. They determine how you make your life decisions; they shape your attitudes, your awareness, and your self-esteem. A healthy home life is obviously a vital ingredient in the pursuit of a meaningful life.”

This can cause tension between siblings and lead to a poor relationship, especially if they chose different parents. Another factor that impacts a child’s development is the departure of one parent from the house. Some children will not get to see that parent for days, weeks, months, or even years, depending on their situation (Kelly, 2003). This can be devastating to a child that has a strong attachment to both parents or the parent that they no longer get to see on a daily basis. For younger children, the leaving of one parent may make them feel scared that the other parent will leave as well. This will cause the child to become increasingly clingy, wanting to sleep in the parents bed, and they will have increased anxiety (Dowling & Gorell-Barnes, 1999). It is also a disruption in the child’s life when a parent finds a new partner and introduces them into their child’s life. Although the well-being of a child has improved in families that has step-parents versus families without a step-parent, getting used to having a step-parent is hard and a big change for children (Moxnes, 2003). Children worry about what their step-parent will be like, if they will like them, and if they will try to replace their biological parents. Step-parents are also an issue in children’s development because some believe that their parents pay more

Positive influence the home has on children learning process regardless of the ethnicity or socioeconomic makeup of the family, especially the environment and activities that stimulate as well as parent’s involvement in the learning and developmental process of the children can’t be ignored. Family and the structure they have can impact tremendously in the life of children, however, the home factor can’t be eliminated in the life of a child.