What is Parenting?

1. What is Parenting? 1-31-08

2. Bell Ringer Bell ringer: When making the decision to have children, what are four things a parent must take into account? • Understanding what parenthood means. • Emotional maturity- is are they capable of handling the changes that parenthood brings.

3. Desire for parenthood- having a child doesn’t solve other problems. Usually it amplifies them. • Health- good nutrition before pregnancy, during, and after pregnancy. Most teens and young women don’t get enough folic acid, iron, and/or calcium when they eat.

4. Parenting • Parenting- caring for children and helping them develop- is complicated. • It requires understanding a child’s needs and meeting those needs. • It also demands good judgment in three areas:

5. Parenting continued • Parenting requires knowing when to help and when to back off so that a child can do things on his/her own. • Parents need to avoid pushing children to try activities they are not developmentally ready for. On the other hand, they do not need to hold them back. • Parents must adapt their parenting skills at each stage of a child’s development.

6. Reasonable Expectations • Children usually do act their age. • However, adults don’t always know what to expect. • That’s why understanding child development is so important to new parents. • Caregivers/parents need to match their expectations to each individual child.

7. Parenting Styles- Authoritarian • Based on the idea that children should obey their parents without question. • A parent tells their child what to do and expects the child to do it. • When the rules are broken, parents usually act quickly and firmly.

8. Parenting Styles- Democratic • In this style, children are given some independence. • Parents that use this style also give their children input on the rules and limits. • Occasionally, the children are even allowed to decide on the consequences for their misbehaviors.

9. Parenting Styles- Permissive • Children have a wide range of freedom. • Parents often act as a friend instead of the parent. • In this style, children may set their own rules.

10. Activity • Scenarios

11. The Tasks of Parenting • There are three basic tasks to parenting: • Meeting the child’s basic needs • Nurture the child • Guide the child to show appropriate behavior

12. Meeting Children’s Needs • It is a parent’s responsibility to meet the following needs: • Provide them with food, clothing, and shelter • Watch over their safety and health • Begin teaching them language

13. Meeting Children’s Needs Continued • Foster intellectual growth by taking an active roll in the child’s schooling • Teach them interpersonal skills • Provide opportunities to love and be loved

14. Nurturing • Nurturing means giving a child encouragement and enrichment. • Parents are a child’s first teacher. • Children learn by exploring their surroundings, trying new things, and imitating others. • Adults should remove as many barriers as possible that would prevent their child from exploring on their own.

15. Nurturing Continued • Unfortunately, some parents do not encourage their children. • They suffer from deprivation, which is when children lack exposure to an enriching environment. • A deprived child might miss his/her window of opportunity for certain types of development.

16. Nurturing Continued • The other part of nurturing is providing love and support.

17. Discussion • Children need love as much as they need food and a bed to sleep in.

18. Communication • Having good communication is key to good parenting. • The way you talk to a child is equally important. • Techniques for good communication: • Use age appropriate words • Be clear • Be positive and polite • Give praise and love • Limit direction to those that are essential • Talk about what is meaningful to the child

19. Review • What are the three parenting styles? • What are the four things parents should consider before having children? • What are the three basic tasks of parenting?