What is responsive parenting
Responsive parenting is a parenting style characterized by a parent's high sensitivity to their child's needs. Responsive parents will consistently and enthusiastically accept their children's needs, feelings, and interests. They are sensitive and react quickly to the child's signals. Children feel supported when parents are emotionally adjusting to their inner state.
The impact of responsive parenting
The researchers found that responsive parenting was associated with the positive development of children — physical, psychological, behavioral, cognitive, and social.
One plausible explanation is that responsive parenting creates a secure attachment in the child.
Attachment is the first emotional bond that a child forms with a caregiver. Attachment security depends on the ability of the family caregiver to meet the needs of the child.
Responsive parenting helps children develop a sense of security, trust, and protection, and build secure attachment.
There are many benefits to secure attachment because these positive life experiences allow children to generalize their learning, thereby creating more positive experiences throughout their lives.
behavior
Studies of responsiveness have revealed a close link between children's behavior and responsiveness.
Using samples of high-risk teens, a Chicago study found that 26 percent of mothers with the worst responses and 16 percent of mothers who had moderate responses in early childhood developed destructive behavioral disorder by then.
In contrast, none of the children with the most responsive mothers developed the disease.
These children also seem to be protected from behavioral problems in other children.
Another study found that children with enthusiastic and responsive parents were less likely to be bullied at school. The researchers believe that children who interact positively in the early days have better social skills and therefore are not targeted for bullying.
Cognitive health
Analysis of numerous studies has found that a mother's ability to respond is often associated with the development of language, cognition, social emotion, and attention skills.
These children had a higher intelligence quotient (IQ) and cognitive growth at the age of four and a half.
They showed better academic performance at the age of seven.
Be in good health
The researchers found that the mother's ability to respond could boost the growth of babies with very low birth weights.
It has also been linked to lower rates of childhood obesity in high-risk children, in contrast to those who grew up with unresponsive parents often have chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and early death.
Mental health
Responsive parents can provide positive family relationships that are essential for mental health.
A positive parent-child relationship in a family setting can also enhance a child's social skills, social-emotional skills, self-esteem, and empathy.
Without adult support, stress in the early years can turn into harmful stress that is not conducive to children's intellectual development. Responsive parenting becomes a protective factor that can cushion the negative impact of suffering on children's development.
How to be a responsible parent
Becoming a responsive parent is very simple. Responsive parents adapt to their child's emotions and respond quickly to their cues in a supportive and developative manner.
For babies and very young children, that's all. Babies need your careful care. However, for older children, responsive parenting requires more work.
The four parenting styles identify both authoritative and tolerant parents as enthusiastic and responsive. But they affect children very differently, and the following tips can help those who are unfamiliar with this parenting style and want to make the most of it.
Set high standards
Of the four parenting styles, both authoritarian and tolerant parenting show a high degree of responsiveness to children. However, only authoritative parenting can produce good child outcomes, while tolerant parenting can produce negative results.
Tolerant parenting is different from authoritative parenting, where tolerant parents don't set boundaries or enforce rules.
Tolerant parents have lax standards of behavior, do not supervise their children's activities, and have few expectations of their children.
Parents can reap the benefits of responsive parenting only if they respond firmly, not just respond. In addition to being sensitive and responsive, make rules and follow them.
Use inductive discipline
Responsive parents do not use punishment to force their children to obey.
Inductive training is used to teach children to discuss the reasons behind each decision and requirement so that they learn how to make the right decision.
Behavioral and emotional responses
In parent-child interaction, it is necessary not only to pay attention to the child's behavior, but also to their emotional health.
Early and consistent parental responses are important for your child's development and respond consistently so that your child perceives the experience to be predictable.