As you prepare to be a new parent or are already the parent to a toddler, it’s imperative to understand the effects certain factors can have on the development of your infant or toddler. In this blog, we’ll dive into some factors influencing your child’s development.
Nutrition
Children need nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals for a strong and healthy body and mind. Breastfeeding can also act as a special bonding for parent-child attachment. Participation in family meal time is where children mimic their parents’ food choices, patterns, and behaviors. It’s where the social aspect of feeding expands, limits are set as the child develops independent eating skills. Accessibility to foods, interactions, feeding, and media exposure shapes the child’s food preferences and eating behaviors ( Liu & Stein, 2013). The child-feeding relationship is influenced by their temperament and the parent’s behaviors. Infants develop self-regulation and secure attachment when the parent allows them to determine meal timing, pace, and amount. Motor and social skills develop for a toddler whose parent provides limits and structure while they explore their environment (Liu & Stein, 2013). Temperament can affect the child’s interaction and response to new food and parenting behaviors. Effective parenting adjusts and responds to a child’s temperament.
Some problems that can arise with feeding such as:
- Overeating. As the rates of overweight and obesity rise in the United States. Children are at risk for not only physical problems such as diabetes and hypertension but also emotional/social issues such as poor self-image and isolation (Liu & Stein, 2013).
- Not gaining weight/under eating can result from children having more interest in their environment than meals. Another cause could be parents’unrealistic expectations of weight gain and small food portions (Liu & Stein, 2013).
- Feeding behavior problems. Children may become pickier with food choices. Children with traumas related to food, such as choking, could develop food phobias (Liu & Stein, 2013).
- Unhealthy food choices could be due to inaccessibility to healthier food options or advertisements for unhealthy food.
Parents suggestion
According to the CDC (2022), children two and older should have healthy and well-balanced diets.
- The diet should include a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fat-free and low-dairy products, and a variety of protein and oils.
- Parents should limit children’s access to and consumption of sugary drinks with empty calories. (CDC, 2022).
- Introduce and encourage your child to try a variety of new foods.
-
The Family Dynamic
The structure and family environment play a significant role in a child’s development. Children learn from the moment they are born through observation and exploration. Family members and family becomes their first teacher. Interaction with family structures creates the foundation of child development they use later in life.
Developmental implication
- Parents and other members family teach children motor skills, such as how to sit, hold cups, and walk. The motor skills that children learn help them develop a sense of autonomy and independence.
- Face-to-face conversations and nonverbal communication with family members help infants develop early language skills. Interactions with the child also help develop the child’s social/emotional skills.
- By teaching young children basic emotions and skills, they learn to regulate emotions. Children began to model and mimic the behaviors and values of parents and family members. Family teaches children basic skills to conduct themselves in society.
- Children rely on family to provide them with the basic needs necessary for life. Children develop a sense of security from the nurturing bonds you create with them.
Family suggestions
- Build security with children by creating schedules and being acceptive.
- Be responsive to the emotional needs of the child.
- Be active and promote play and physical movement.
- Engage in frequent verbal and nonverbal communication.
The Implications of Tecnoference
Technoference, coined by social scientists, describes the influence technology has on our relationships( McDaniel & Coyne, 2016). These interferences are producing negative consequences for young children and infants. Consequences include emotional well-being impairment, poor behavior, delayed development of language, and an increase in accidental injuries (Zimmerke, 2019).
- Emotion well-being impairment: As an infant’s brain develops, bonding is crucial for optimal well-being. To form an infant’s emotional attachment, verbal communication is vital. Infants need their parents’ nonverbal communication, such as eye contact, body language, and facial expression. The mixture of nonverbal and verbal communication aids them with emotional regulation. Research shows that infants’ ability to attach to other people later in life is influenced by the quality of support received by caregivers (Sroufe, 1996 as cited in, Zimmerle, 2019). Parents distracted by screens miss the opportunity to connect and bond with their children. When Using a screen during family activity or time with the child, time for verbal/nonverbal communication and play decreases. The same goes for background television, also being linked with poor parent-child interaction due to a lack of conversation (Zimmerele, 2019).
- Poor Behavior: Research has suggested that children often misbehave the more a parent uses their screen. McDaniel and Radesky (2017) conducted a study reporting that children under the age of five years demonstrated poor behaviors, including tantrums, frustration, sulking, hyperactivity, and whining more often for patients with high technology use compared to the children of parents with less frequent use. They also reported that the parents indicated withdrawal of the child the more they misbehaved, leading to increased use of screens (McDaniel & Radesky, 2017). These findings suggest a continuous cycle of poor parent-child interaction.
- Delayed language Development: Infants’ need for verbal and nonverbal communication from parents is vital for the child’s language development. Studies indicate that a child’s vocabulary accurately echos their parent’s vocabulary (Zimmerle, 2019). Parents who engage in frequent conversation while using quality vocabulary with children have children who develop verse vocabulary and vice versa for the opposite effect (Hart Risley, 2003). Vocabulary at three is a strong predictor for third-grade literacy. Frequent talk with your infant is critical for stimulating early language development.
Parent suggestions to limit technology consumption:
- Use in-app or third-party apps to limit screen time and apps on devices. Some of these in-app features include downtime for Apple devices, where you can reduce screen time by limiting app usage.
- Engage in tech-free activities such as storybook reading, creative arts, outdoor play time, and games that don’t need equipment.
References
Zimmerle, J. C. (2019). Limiting Technoference: Healthy Screen Time Habits for New Parents. International Journal of Childbirth Education, 34(2), 54–59.
McDaniel, B. T., & Radesky, J. (2017). Technoference: Parent distraction by
technology and associations with child behavior problems. Child Development, 89(1). doi:10.1111/cdev.12822
McDaniel, B. T., & Coyne, S. M. (2016). “Technoference”: The interference of technology in couple relationships and implications for women’s personal and relational well-being. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 5(1), 85-98.
doi:10.1037/ppm0000065
Ben-Joseph, E. pearl (Ed.). (2022, August). Media use guidelines: Babies & toddlers (for parents) – nemours kidshealth. KidsHealth. https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/screentime-baby-todd.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, August 5). Childhood nutrition facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/nutrition/facts.htm
Liu, Y. H., & Stein, M. T. (2013, September). Feeding behaviour of infants and young children and its impact on child psychosocial and emotional development. Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development. https://www.child-encyclopedia.com/child-nutrition/according-experts/feeding-behaviour-infants-and-young-children-and-its-impact-child
South Carolina Department of Social Services. (2021, May 18). Why is family important in a child’s development? ABC Quality. https://abcquality.org/blog/why-is-family-important-in-a-child-s-development/#:~:text=Because%20a%20child%20relies%20on,their%20family%20members%20and%20caregivers.