Parenting Style and Culture

¶ … Parenting Style and Culture Affects Child Development

We all started learning from our parents. Thus, chances are what the parents show and teach to their child are what the child will develop during his growth. Because of this, it is important that proper parenting must be carried to a child during his development.

Researches and studies show that the style and culture of parenting influences child development. However, studies also show that there are also other factors, such as genes and environment, which affect child development. One aspect where parenting affects child development can be found in the parent-to-child relationship where interactive processes can influence the child. For instance, from the day we were born, it is our parents who provide us with love and care. How a parent expresses such love and care may be interpreted by the child as the proper way to express the same feelings. Thus, such style of parenting can influence the child to demonstrate the same to others. As indicated by Eleanor Maccoby (Azar, 2000), from Beth Azar's article How Do Parents Matter? Let us Count the Ways,

"We now see parenting ... more as a set of interactive processes whereby parents and children react to each other and influence each other from the moment a child is born," writes Stanford University's Eleanor Maccoby, PhD

Another study, conducted by the Berkeley Developmental Researches, on how parenting matters on child development have found that parenting has significant effect to child development especially during the early age development. It was also found that intervention between a child and a parent can reduce negative personalities such as social withdrawal and shyness (Azar, 2000).

Another aspect where parenting can greatly affect child development is based on how a parent upholds values and discipline to a child. The style of parenting related to this aspect that is carried to the child can have either negative or positive effects. Studies reveal that there are instances when too strict values/discipline brought to a child can negatively influence the child's behavior. There are cases on such situation where a child develops rebellious attitude as a yield against the stringent rules that his parent carry to him. However, there are also cases where strict values and discipline results to a really disciplined child. Scramella and Leve (2004) suggests that

Consistent with existing theory, the quality of parent -- child interactions during early childhood affects children's social relationships and behavioral adjustment during middle childhood and adolescence. Harsh parenting and a propensity toward emotional overarousal interact very early in life to affect risk for later conduct problems.