The Importance of Nurturing Care During Early Childhood

Children who can rely on an adult to nurture them by taking care of their health, nutrition, protection and opportunities to learn will eventually become individuals who are able to innovate, create and establish healthy relationships in order to contribute to the development of their community. Studies have shown that neglect is associated with a high probability of experiencing emotional and interpersonal difficulties, which means that high levels of Negativity contributes to poor impulse control. In a few words, neglect during childhood reduces the possibility of being a happy human being.
It is not a child’s place to decide the family he or she is born in, but it is the parents’ or caregivers’ duty to provide a suitable environment with opportunities not only to survive but to thrive. Young children growing up in adverse environments are vulnerable, yet there are early interventions that can prevent harm, such as working with them, their families, and caregivers. That way the care young children receive can be enriched by love and quality time. Since babies are learning about the world around them through their senses, they can understand a nurturing character by the sound of the voice, facial expressions, and how the adult reacts to them. A report by Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of
Pediatrics states that toxic stress in childhood leads to many adult diseases. Toxic stress could be caused by poverty, discrimination, or maltreatment. (Shonkoff, 2012)
A proper setting for children begins with the well-being of the parents or caregivers. This is because different factors like poverty, lack of food, violence among others can add to the stress inside the household. Hence there is a high probability that when a parent or caregiver feels stuck or frustrated, they can neglect or even abandon their child.
It is really important for young children to build strong bonds with the adults who take care of them since they depend on them. It is all about responses, if the adult is unreliable or simply absent, the child could end up having behavioral or health problems. According to a study from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, responsive relationships are both expected and essential, their absence is a serious threat to a child’s development and well-being (The Science of Neglect, 2015). Considering this information, we can say that a nurturing bond is built day after day from birth and it is much needed from both sides of the relationship.
There are many benefits of having a family environment. The family creates building blocks children need to face the challenging world we live in. The relationships that are built within the family set the standards for later relationships. It is extremely necessary for every single family member to be sure they can find a strong support system. Not only do parents help children grow into adulthood, but children can help parents or guardians grow into better people.
Nurturing care undoubtedly works for both generations, adults and children, since family is the foundation of society, we need to pay attention to the dynamics inside. Parenting is one of life’s most fulfilling and satisfying experiences, this is because parents get to know themselves through their child’s eyes. Children are a mirror to parents, due to this parents are able to recognize how beautiful and flawed they are. Personal growth is very important while parenting, at the end of the day, parents never stop learning. New generations need the support of their predecessors, if adults have unsolved self conflicts and too many worries they can not perform formidably as guardians of the younger generation. It is crucial to remember young children someday will be in charge of this world.
We live in a vast challenging world, and as adults, it is easy to get engaged with the difficulties, tasks, and endless to-do lists to fulfill that we often forget that we are supposed to take good care of the younger generations. It is important to ensure that they are building a proper character to face the world, we forget that we are supposed to teach them how to live and to not only survive.
A productive society with a bright future is built on a foundation of healthy child development. The well-being of a child starts in the womb, therefore the emotional and physical stability of the mother while she is pregnant is crucial, it lays the groundwork for a
lifetime. Parents or caregivers are in charge of raising sustainable children, who have the physical and mental vitality that is necessary for responsible and strong workforce participation in community life.
To our eyes life is not always fair, we do not get to pick most of our circumstances, yetchildren are the least guilty of this. They come to this world being innocent despite theenvironment they were born in. A baby is enough reason to change the environment, they are worthy of respect and love.
Child maltreatment can come from intergenerational patterns as a result of multiple influences including family and community. Parenting can be influenced by childhood experiences of their own parent’s behaviors, if they have experienced abusive or neglectful
parenting, then they may develop beliefs that these behaviors are acceptable and imitate them with their own children. Considering that society plays an important role in what we perceive as acceptable behavior, it is essential to reevaluate and commit to breaking with these patterns. We need to break vicious cycles within the family, we need to build stronger bonds.
Children are our legacy, they are carrying a million possibilities of a promising future. Let us be proactive and nurture them. It is our responsibility to take care of their souls and bodies for they will be active and responsible citizens of this world.