Parenting


'''Parenting''' comprises all the tasks involved in raising a child to an independent adult. Parenting begins even before the child is born or adopted and may last until the death of the parent or child. Parenting is a part of the relationship within a family.

Aspects of parenting

Culture

Parenting is universal in all societies and highly dependent on culture. For example, North Americans often clearly define 18 as the age of adulthood, and children are expected to leave home around that age to support themselves. Oriental culture does not have such a clear boundary: traditionally, children would live with parents in multi-generation extended families and be "parented" even as they become parents themselves. For instance, the parents' decision to have a child circumcised is more common in some societies than others. In the United States, where many male babies are routinely circumcised, parents make that decision independently, and obstetric and pediatric professionals will usually follow the parents' decision. In Jewish and Moslem communities, circumcision is part of most interpretations of religious doctrine.

Discipline

Parenting may involve praise but also punishment, for instance putting a child over the knee for a spanking. The term "child training" implies a specific type of parenting that focuses on holistic understanding of the child. The "Taking Children Seriously" philosophy sees both praise and punishment as manipulative and harmful to the child and seeks other way to reach agreement with them. The term "attachment parenting" seeks to create strong emotional bonds and avoid physical punishment, with discipline being accommodated by interactions with a child's emotional needs.

Pregnancy and the early years

During pregnancy the unborn child is affected by many decisions his or her parents make, particularly choices linked to their lifestyle. The health and diet decisions of the pregnant woman can have either a positive or negative impact on the child.

During infancy

Specific care includes:

School years

Assistance

Parents may receive assistance from a variety of individuals and organizations. Employers may offer specific benefits or programs for parents.

Observers

Benjamin Spock was an authority on parenting to a generation of North American parents. A current authority is T. Berry Brazelton, the founder of the Child Development Unit at Children's Hospital, Boston, and Professor of Pediatrics Emeritus at Harvard Medical School.

Parenting assessment

There are several parent self-report measures that have been developed for use by clinicans and researchers to assess parenting, such as the Parenting Stress Index (PSI; Abidin, 1995) and Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI; Bavolek, 1984). Parenting measures can also be observational, such as the Parent-Child Interaction Assessment-II (PCIA-II; Holigrocki, Kaminski, & Frieswyk, 1999). See: Abidin, R. (1995). Parenting Stress Index: Professional Manual. 3rd Ed. Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc. Bavolek, S. J. (1984). Handbook for the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory. Eau Claire, Wisconsin: Family Development Associates, Inc. Holigrocki, R. J, Kaminski, P. L., & Frieswyk, S. H. (1999). Introduction to the Parent-Child Interaction Assessment. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 63(3), 413-428.

See also

Category:Parenting

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