Psychology help needed: How parental lifestyle influence the emotional development – Response

The lifestyles led by the parents in each single family have a great impact on the devel- opment of the children, the parents and the family as a whole. According to research, it affects the physical development, emotional, and mental development. Parents need to ensure that the type of lives they lead their families would not have any negative impacts in the long-run, pro- vided that they have full control over the lifestyles. It has been found that parenting does not only involve meeting the basic survival needs of the children and their parents. It rather involves shap- ing a child’s personality, their emotional development, and their behavior while they interact with the society. Initially, individuals thought that meeting the basic requirements of a child and the family like changing baby diapers, following-up a screaming child in a crowded place, and pro- viding food for the family meant full responsibilities of parenting. The latter is not enough to support the development of a child; it would be of great importance for parents to avail them- selves to provide full support that will later nurture confidence and growth in several areas of development.

The lifestyle provided by a parent to their children has a great impact on the development of the child. Being physically present and visible by the child is not enough; when a parent is not emotionally involved and responsive to the needs of a child, they will bring up children that are stressed and also less engaged in both their play and different activities. According to research conducted to investigate the relationship between a parent’s investment and children’s proficien- cy, the emotional involvement of a child contributes a lot to the results of their child’s emotional

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capability and control. It is essential for parents to consider the quality of time they devote to spend with their children and incorporate their emotions to their child. The child may struggle in the future while they strive to control or regulate their emotions and interact with their colleagues in the society. Hence, the emotional development of a child is greatly impacted by the time of- fered by their parents in nurturing them. In as much as a parent may be committed to busy work schedules, it is essential to allocate enough time to pour their emotions to their children (Shaffer & Kipp, 2014)

The early attachment relationship between a parent and a child predicts the future devel- opment of the child. The attachment is not necessarily based on genetic traits of an infant but rather the history of their interaction with their parents. The research portrays that the attachment styles of a child are not inborn; they are a lifestyle that a parent has to captivate in their children right form birth. The future self-esteem of a child is most likely predicted by the attachment they had with their parent at infancy. An anxious attachment will lead to the development of a low self-esteem and more so emotionally disturbed. It is advisable to nurture a secure attachment that involves parents treating their children in a way that supports growth to emotionally stable and responsible adolescents (Shaffer & Kipp, 2014). To foster a secure attachment will not necessari- ly require material provisions but rather availability and emotional support when need be. It is found that the future emotional development of both the parent and the child would be based upon infancy and growth attachments between the two. Parents are advised to incorporate health attachments to eliminate chances of low self-esteem and emotional distress among their children.

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Caregiving has a great impact on the emotional development of a child. One of the most important aspects of emotional development is how warm a caregiver may be. A depressed mother tends to have maladaptive thoughts, outlooks, and behaviors. Again, being in a stressful environment, such a mother will expose their child to the risk of developing emotional problems that may be displayed in the future. A depressed caregiver may be indifferent towards their chil- dren, expose them to minimal social situations, and fail to motivate their children in matters where they mostly needed to. The latter may depict the challenge of having a normal emotional development, and therefore, difficulties in interacting with their friends and the society at large. The environment where a child is raised portrays the lifestyle that shapes their emotional devel- opment. It is essential for caregivers to encourage children to embrace good social standards while they interact with the society for them to shape their emotional development.

Children learn how to regulate and control their emotions by learning from the way their parents interact with other individuals. Again, children imitate what their parents do to control their emotions and put it in practice while interacting with their colleagues, siblings, and the par- ents in return. Research shows that a child’s temperament plays a great role in controlling their emotions depending on the parenting style they receive from their caregivers. The parenting life- style led by the parents helps in shaping the development of the emotional well-being of a child (Letourneau, Hirst & Joschko, 2013). If a child is exposed to negative parental emotions or fre- quent moments of anger, they will be affected by the hostile and neglectful parenting they expe- rience as they grow up. In such an environment, the child will be prone to developing behavioral problems. Negative emotions can also develop as a result of difficult temperaments as the latter

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serves as a bidirectional problem. Parents ought to note that their emotions and their parenting lifestyle act as a source of the emotional outcomes of their children. Also, children may cultivate negative behaviors due to ineffective and indifferent parenting when their parents do not have knowledge about their children’s tempers. It is healthy for the parents to learn to control them- selves to ensure that the children emulate good behaviors from them. The society in which a fam- ily lives appreciates the outcomes of a child’s behavior if they portray good characters emulated from the family’s lifestyle. The feedback provided by a child would also be a source of encour- agement to the parents to continue practicing good caregiving and emotional control skills.

According to research, the behavioral styles of the members of a particular family have a great impact on the interactions among the members of the family. A child is more likely to adapt to the daily routines of their family, and cope well with their parents and siblings. Highly active and prickly children find it difficult to conform to the daily life demands. They may also find it difficult to interact with the other family members and therefore, they develop a lot of stress and friction. A child who is low in persistence may not adhere to the efforts of the parents in shaping their future. In return, they frustrate the parents’ efforts to avail good caregiving and parenthood. Children ought to cooperate in helping their parents to shape their emotional development. It is important to develop a positive attitude towards the teachings offered by the parents in cultivat- ing their emotional development (Williams, Sawyer & Wahlstrom, 2012)

Every child ought to be able to handle the emotions of the people they live with, as well as in different social situations. It is the role of a parent to train their children on the ways of handling diverse social situations. For example, when an individual is crying, they ought to be

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taught how to handle the same. The behaviors of the parents will contribute to a child’s under- standing of other people’s emotions. According to different studies, a parent is responsible for building a child’s social and emotional development. Marital and family conflicts are attributed to the development status of a child and the family at large. If a child witnesses their parents fighting, their emotional development will be disrupted and then develop problems with emo- tional security (Chan & Koo, 2011). The lifestyle led by a child at their young age contributes to some level of background anger which is mostly common to children coming from divorced families. If parents do not display their fights to their children, then the children may have healthier reactions towards a divorce if any, as well as social interactions.

The manner in which parents address the emotions displayed by their children affects the way in which the children express themselves. When one reacts with criticism or dismisses the sadness or the anger of a child, it shows that their emotions are not effective or binding. This makes children more prone to negative emotions and unable to cope with stressing life situations. Instead of expressing anger towards children’s emotions, parents are required to guide children’s emotions and assist them to find ways of expressing their needs in a healthy manner (Sigelman & Rider, 2014). It will in return help the children to control their responses to difficult situations, and help in improving their academic and social capabilities.

The research on emotional development depicts that parenting decisions have a great im- pact on the physical, social, and emotional well-being of a child. However, decision-making does not bind parents to follow a particular routine to make a perfectly well- adjusted child. It ought to be accepted that there is no particular formula that parents should follow to shape the behavior of

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their children, or to make them have a perfect social development. The lifestyles led by each family shape the children’s emotional, physical, and social development. It is essential to rare children in a way that their emotional development does not affect their future. Parents should assist their children to develop to emotionally stable individuals by providing a supportive envi- ronment, giving positive feedback, and being role models of a productive and healthy behavior. The interactions of family members help in nurturing the emotional reactions and experiences in a way that they can handle issues at any social settings. Parents who are detrimental to the over- all development of their children also strive with personal mental health problems or substance abuse. Psychologists advise parents to equip their children to face the world in a positive way. This could be achieved by ensuring that the lifestyle they lead their families can be emulated. Family dysfunction begins with the parenting style and the social setting that surround a child.

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References:

Chan, T. W., & Koo, A. (2011). Parenting style and youth outcomes in the UK. European Socio- logical Review.

Letourneau, N., In Hirst, A., & Joschko, J. (2013). Scientific parenting: What science reveals about parental influence.

Shaffer, D. R., & Kipp, K. (2014). Developmental psychology: Childhood and adolescence. Aus- tralia: Wadsworth.

Sigelman, C. K., & Rider, E. A. (2014). Life-span human developmentWilliams, B. K., Sawyer, S. C., & Wahlstrom, C. M. (2012). Marriages, families, and intimate

relationships. Pearson Higher Ed.