How do the images of childhood affect attitudes towards childcare? How have these images influenced childcare practices in Singapore? Discuss.

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How do the images of childhood affect attitudes towards childcare? How have these images influenced childcare practices in Singapore? Discuss.

 

                        Without  a  doubt,  pre-conceptual  images  of  childhood  do affect  our  attitudes  towards  childcare,  as  to  how  and  the  extent  of  impact  these  images  may  have  will  be  what  I  shall  be  discussing  later.  Indeed such influences  have  and will  continue   to  affect  the way  we  treat  or  look  at  children,  however  not neglecting  other  important  factors  that  comes into consideration,  like  environment,  culture,  race  and  even  modern  technologies,  as  they  too  shall  define  the  way  we  live  our  lives,  hence affecting  our  attitudes  towards  child  care.  Thus,  I  have categorized  them  into  the four  main  images  and  will  try  to  explore  the  effects  that  each  one  of  them  has  and  how  they  have  contributed  towards  our  outlook  and  approach  with  regards  to  childcare.  The  four  main  images  are  the  miniature  adult,  the  sinner,  the  child  as  property   and  the  schooled  child.  (Book 1, Chapter 1, pp 6-10).  Subsequently  I shall  discuss  the  four  common  childcare  practices  or  child  care  methods  prevalent  in  Singapore  and   how  those  images  have  influenced  our  child  care  practices  here  .   Hence  I  have  circled  them  down  to  the  4  most  common  child  care methods  practiced  here  in  Singapore  namely,  the child  care centres,  Grandparents,  Parents  and  maids.

Miniature adult Perhaps one of the most ancient images of a child since civilization, the miniature adult was by and large the foremost apparent in Western Europe of the Middle Ages. Those days there were no stress or attention paid to children’s special nature or needs like education or talents development, what was important then were  their basic needs like food and shelter. Thus as soon as a child is of independent age, in those days independent would refer to once a child is capable of living without their mothers around them, they would naturally be included in the adults’ world, both in their past times and play . Hence in many ways they live imitating their adults, especially in the way they dressed and speak. This is further affirmed when medieval pictures and diaries were scrutinized ( Book 1, Chapter 1, pp 6,  Aries, 1962, p.125 ). As such they were treated like miniature adults whereby there were no great distinction found between adults and child in terms of their similarity in both  leisure activities and work.  

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The Sinner The image of a child as sinner was common since the fourth century AD and is still existent in today’s world where christianity is still very much a practiced religion (Singapore Census of population, 2000 Advance data release No.2 – Religion, ). An innate belief of dictating obedience as children are believed to be born with original sin and thus would have to be disciplined in order to be saved, especially in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries as practiced by the Puritans. Hence going to church is a vital activity and punishments would seem to be the ...

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