Children in Development

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Each parent deal with the incredibly difficult duty of raising children and may be overwhelm with conflicting advices claiming to be vital for the child’s future regarding mental and physical health. That is why many new parents are overwhelmed by this situation and many are just not ready for parenthood.

How do parents know which childcare professional is right or not? There are so many different advices, which one should they use? It may seem there are no real correct way for raising a child. Different cultures and different generations have different views on child development; regardless of these differences, the majority of the children in all societies develop into healthy and functional adults.

For instance, between 1820 and 1860, American parenting were guided by moralistic, which is a religious guide and people didn’t doubted any of that. The mothers were advised to breast feed (or hire a wet nurse), wean quickly (for at least one year), and feed on demand. The children had to dress in several layers of clothing. Toilet training was seen as ideal with big attention to the timing and frequency of bowel movements. As well as tidiness and cleanliness were look at as a moral issue.

When the 1940’s came along, mothers were advised to bottle feed their babies, They were told to have a strict feeding schedule and to wait for toilet training until the child was ready. Once again, today’s emphasis is on breast feeding at the child’s demand with the trend on looser clothing and the argument is still out on the best time for toilet training.

However, there are something that cannot be change. There are evidences that parents pass on their attitudes and skills necessary for their children to succeed in their society. Also, we now know that such attitudes are delivered within the framework of a genetic time clock; which mean we cannot teach a child something before he or she is developmentally prepared to learn it.

In all cultures when all infants are born, they are vulnerable and dependent on adults. Despite the influence of parents and society, there seems to be a genetic tendency of babies in all cultures to accomplish certain goals. For instance, walking, talking, and toilet training all happen approximately at the same age.