Influences of child development

No two children are alike and each child should be recognised as an

individual. No child or adult wants to be compared to anyone else but valued in his or her own right as an individual

Children’s development happens naturally. By a certain age, you would normally expect babies to have achieved certain milestones e.g. most babies can sit up by the age of 9 months, however some can support their backs earlier than this and sit up by the age of 7 months.

There are many factors, which can influence babies and children’s development. In the box below, write as many influences that you can think of.

Influences on children’s development

Home conditions

The place where a child lives e.g. a flat or a house
If you live in the country or in a city
who looks after the child e.g. a single parent, an extended family
whether the child is loved and wanted
the child’s friends
is the child an only child or do they have brothers or sisters?
whether the child is encouraged to learn or is ignored or watches television all day long

Culture

the culture that the family belongs to
is the child’s culture the same as the country they are living in?

This is a preview of the whole essay

The place where a child lives e.g. a flat or a house
If you live in the country or in a city
who looks after the child e.g. a single parent, an extended family
whether the child is loved and wanted
the child’s friends
is the child an only child or do they have brothers or sisters?
whether the child is encouraged to learn or is ignored or watches television all day long

Culture

the culture that the family belongs to
is the child’s culture the same as the country they are living in?
how easy it is to maintain their culture
does the culture of the country ,they are living in respect, their culture
their religion
the traditions of the culture
the food, music and eating habits of their culture
the style of dress they wear according to their culture
the leisure activities of that culture
the interest in education and aspirations of the culture

Education

the family’s attitude to education
the use of pre-school and nursery
the teachers and pupils the child meets throughout their school life
how far the family were involved in education e.g. how many members of the family did “A” levels or went to college or University

Food

a child needs a balanced diet, but can the family provide that. Childhood obesity is a very common problem today
can anyone in the family cook? Or do they only eat readymade food?
Food is a great way to continue a family’s culture and traditions

Illness

Severe long term illness can slow down a child’s development
Prolonged illness can also affect a child’s emotional development

Exercise

If the family is not interested in even basic exercise e.g. walking to school, then the child may fail to develop and strengthen their muscles
Lack of exercise makes muscles flabby and encourages the growth of fatty tissue which will affect the child’s physical development

Stress

Happy, healthy children flourish, but those under severe family stress for long periods, may not grow to reach their full potential.
Stress can be caused by many things and may result in unhappiness, worry, loneliness illness and abuse

Parents who smoke

There is clear, detailed evidence that parents who smoke may slow down their child’s development
Research has shown that 7 year old children, whose parents smoke, are shorter in height and 3-7 months behind in their reading and maths ability

Parents who never work

There is clear evidence that where, in a family there is a culture of not working, children suffer developmentally
There is insufficient money to buy basic goods and this can affect them socially and emotionally
There are very low aspirations for the child and this will affect their development

The position in the family