Respond to discussion 610

1 day ago

Gabrielle Winton 

The Importance of Presence

Top of Form

Importance of Presence

            When parents bring a child into their home, whether by birth or adoption, they are taking on the daunting task of raising a child and providing what he or she needs to grow into a productive and healthy member of society.  As Christian parents, there is an added joy of helping their child grow in love and knowledge of the Lord as well.  The class texts and videos we have read and watched have provided ample information to help us understand the importance the human development process intertwined with strong parental presence play in setting the stage for success.

            One of the first needs a child has is the need to feel safe and bond with the parent.  Dobson (2010) encourages mothers to try to stay at home with their newborns to create an attachment and build confidence.  This is one of the first places the need to combine social sciences and human nature appears.  What creates the optimal conditions for a child to develop well is for a mother to spend as much time as possible at home and form an attachment with her child that will affect that relationship in the vital years ahead (Dobson, 2010). There are both physical and emotional ramifications of neglecting this bond, and as Dobson (2010) points out, it is best for a mother, if she is able, to not work away from the child full time during the first years of his or her life.  Although this runs counter to what society is teaching and often what parents know, this attachment provides protection from woes later in life. Not to be left out, as children grow older, the need for a strong father becomes more evident.  As Dobson (2010) shares, a daughter especially finds her identity in her relationship with her father.

            Another important factor in creating a healthy environment for children in which to grow centers on the adults in their lives and the examples provided for the child.  Estep and Kim (2010) illustrate Piaget’s Theory of Intellectual Development in Figure 3.4 of their book.  It shows that at a very young age (birth – 2 years) infants are gaining information and knowledge through watching, hearing, and feeling what is around them.  They are absorbing the information parents are providing them. Children who see their parents going to church, praying for people, reading the Bible learn that that is what is good.  As the author of Deuteronomy wisely tells us, we should be telling our children about God every second of the day. “talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 11:19, New International Version). 

It is vital that as children develop and learn, they are observing wholesome examples of Christ’s love and passion, because as Estep and Kim (2010) point out, the child under the age of 12 understand best what is concrete and lived out. If we want our children to find a strong sense of identity, they must have modeled the values we wish them to have, as depicted in James Marcia’s four stages in Figure 4.2 of Estep and Kim’s (2010) book.

            I have seen the result of a home where instead of love and sweetness, anger and hatred are lived out in front of the young ones.  Those children come into my class angry, unhappy, and lost. The examples and presence we provide to nurture and support our children matters deeply, whether it is positive or negative.  Parents should be aware that children will live out the example set in front of them, whether it is good or bad.

References

Dobson, J. (2010). Bringing up girls: Practical advice and encouragement for those shaping the next generation of women. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House.

Estep, J.R. & Kim, J.H. (Eds). (2010). Christian formation: Integrating theology and human development.  Nashville, TN: B & H Academics.

Bottom of Form