It has been established that children need consistent parenting behaviors for their brain development. Child development is a topic that is being studied every day, all over the world, and despite how much we already know, they are learning more and more. They learn how their environment shapes who they become, and how it differs from their biological and genetic composition. When looking at brain development, there are several factors that can help shape it, and parents have a role to play in that.
However, they need to be aware of the influence they have to make sure they do everything they can.
According to Medical Xpress and The Conversation, children need consistent behavior from their parents to have healthy brain development. A research team studied brain development in children to discover how early life experiences can affect brain growth and development.
What they have found is that unpredictable parenting behaviors can disrupt the development of a child’s emotional brain circuits. This means that they may be at risk for mental illness and drug use later in life.
The reason this happens is because of the brain’s sensory systems. The example used was vision problems. If a child has a severely lazy eye, they can develop lifelong vision problems if they do not get the attention they need. This is the same as parenting behavior. They need parents to be consistent in their words, thoughts and actions.
Parents are a child’s first source of information as a baby and as they become a child, they need the information to be consistent with what they receive from their parents. Researchers said it how a parent responds to a child’s needs can affect their emotional needs.
For example, if a child is accustomed to ignoring their needs, or their parent does not respond when they are injured or hurt, they will run the risk of emotional problems later in life. Children need their parents to be predictable and consistent. This means that when a child falls and hurts themselves, they need their parent to react the same way every time.
The same goes for situations like they ask for a new toy or something when they are out. They rely on parents to give the same messages every time, it communicates stability, security and safety. This is some new information for parents to keep in mind when thinking about their parenting.
Sources: Medical Xpress, The Conversation
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