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Media management: How will you manage media for your child?
"Upon entering kindergarten, the average American
five-year-old has watched over 5,000 - 6,000 hours of television” (Dr. Thomas
Lickona, Raising Good Children). Research shows that brain
development in children matures best when children are interacting with people
and the world around them. Too much media can have a detrimental impact on:
attention span, language abilities, cognitive ability, creativity, intrinsic
motivation, and social skills.
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Cultural and ethnic influences: How do you ensure that your
child will pass along your family's cultural traditions and ethnic heritage to
the next generation?
Will my child take pride in their own ethnic background and at the same time
accept diversity in others. Studies have found that exposing children to other
cultures and ethnic groups alone does not necessarily lead to tolerance for
diversity. Getting children to take pride in their heritage also involves
appropriate role-modeling from the adults in their environment.
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Heroes and role models: How can you impact the selection your
child makes in the adults he/she chooses to look up to?
Many psychologists believe that heroes are important to a child's development.
They can help young people forge their own identities as they struggle to
become independent of their parents. They may provide models for behavior to
emulate and can inspire children to greatness but what control do we have over
who our children choose to imitate?
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Family of origin: What kind of legacy will you pass on to your
children?
When we were born, we were assigned to our initial family units. Unfortunately,
we had no choice in determining our allotment. Fortunately, we are able to and
should be actively involved in establishing our subsequent family units as
adults. When we have a clearer picture of the family system we were born into,
we are in a better position to make informed choices about the kind of family
we hope to create.
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How will I encourage optimal physical health in my child?
Eating habits: The foundation of life-long food habits and appetite
control are established during infancy. Results from the 1999-2002 National
Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) indicate that an estimated 16
percent of children and adolescents ages 6-19 years are overweight. This
represents a 45 percent increase from the overweight estimates of 11 percent
obtained from NHANES III (1988-94). Being aware of food choices early on will
benefit your child's well-being for years to come.
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Physical activity and exercise: Physical inactivity
has become a serious problem in the United States. According to the American
Heart Association (AHA) physical inactivity is a major risk factor for
developing coronary artery disease, stroke and other major cardiovascular risk
factors as obesity, high blood pressure, low HDL ("good") cholesterol and
diabetes. The AHA recommends that children and adolescents participate in at
least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day.
Decreasing the amount of time a child spends in front of 2-D screen machines is
a good place to start. Increased physical activity has been associated with an
increased life expectancy, a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and an
increased expansion of neural networks in the brain as well as producing
overall physical, psychological and social benefits.
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How will you nurture your child's emotional self?
Emotional intelligence: Studies point to the measure of one's success
as being determined more by one's emotional intelligence than by one's academic
success or SAT scores. Emotional learning begins early in life and continues
throughout childhood. Every single interchange between parent and child has an emotional undertone, and in the repetition of these unspoken messages over the years forms the core of a child's emotional outlook and capabilities. The key
components of emotional intelligence are: self-awareness, managing emotions,
motivating one self, empathy and handling relationships. “Emotionally
literate students have mastered the emotional abilities that inoculate them
against the turmoil and pressures they are about to face during life
transitions" (Daniel Goleman, 1995).
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Encouraging self-directed play: An essential facet in
early childhood development is for children to learn how to amuse themselves
and tolerate being alone. Doing so will: help a child's attention span develop,
provide opportunities for utilizing their imagination and critical thinking
skills, and encourage internal motivation essential for acquiring future
knowledge.
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How will you prepare your child for the social interactions
they will eventually have to deal with?
Bullies: Teaching your child to cope with bullying behavior is
imperative in today's world. "Almost 30% of youth in the
United States (or over 5.7 million) are estimated to be involved in bullying as
either a bully, a target of bullying, or both” (The National Youth Violence
Prevention Resource Center). Studies show that helping your child
develop a sense of self-confidence and a mindfulness of body language can help
reduce their possibility of being targeted by a bully.
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Conflict resolution: The development of conflict
resolution skills is crucial to the understanding and managing of healthy
relationships. It is important to show children that they have many choices for
dealing with conflict. This life-long skill enables one to resolve
disagreements with others in a manner that leaves both parties satisfied and
respectful of each other.
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Peer pressure: Your child will be exposed to peers
their entire life, some of it will be positive and some of it will be negative.
The adult perception of peer pressure as all bad is inaccurate. More often than
not, peers reinforce family values, but they have the potential to encourage
problem behaviors as well. Teaching your child to become a good decision maker
as well as an independent thinker will equip them with the tools necessary to
make good choices when being pressured by their peers.
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How will you build strong character and create a positive
sense of self in your child?
Character building: Being more intentional about Character Development
strengthens conscience, increases awareness of the right thing to do, promotes
respect for differences, and enhances personal responsibility.
“There's no doubt that our character has a profound effect on our future. What
we must remember, however, is not merely how powerful character is in
influencing our destiny, but how powerful we are in shaping our own character
and, therefore, our own destiny" (Michael Josephson - founder of the Josephson
Institute of Ethics).
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Citizenship/stewardship: Parent's are children's
first and most influential teachers of civic values and attitudes. Lessons
learned at home about political participation or community involvement are
likely to set the tone for later learning about citizenship responsibilities.
Citizenship and community involvement encourages children to do their share to
make the community - the world - a better place.
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Values articulation: Identifying values early in life
will benefit children as they encounter daily challenges and moral dilemmas.
How do you plan to pass along your values to your children? As parents you are
constantly role modeling values to your children which they will gradually
absorb by watching you. If you want to accelerate their understanding of and
identification with values it is important to be specific and literal in
teaching values to children.
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How will you facilitate a healthy sexuality in your child?
Sexual development and sexual play are natural and healthy processes in
children. It is important for parents to understand what is "normal" sexual
development and behavior in children and teenagers. Many of the building blocks
of sexual development and sexual health occur in early childhood. Healthy
sexual development is related to a child's understanding of relationships,
values, gender roles and identity. We generally do not think of these things as
sexually related but these important achievements in early child development
lay the foundation for how our sexuality will develop and evolve. Parents and
caregivers indirectly teach infants and toddlers about sexuality when they
interact with them on a number of levels including the way they speak to
children, and cuddle and play with them. Children also learn a great deal about
sexuality simply by observing people interact in the world around them.
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Each parenting experience presents its own set of challenges
and unique circumstances. The Progressive Parent can assist you with planning
for or dealing with any of the following situations you may be facing:
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Step-parenting
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Blended family
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Single parenting
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Balancing work and family life
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Adoption
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Divorce
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Sibling rivalry
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Behavior management/discipline
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Media management
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Early brain development
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ADHD
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Time management
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Stress management
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Anger management
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Assertiveness training
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