The Role of Early Relationships Essay Example for Free

The Role of Early Relationships Essay In this assignment I will discuss the role of early relationships in the development of child behaviour. This involves many factors such as the family, child rearing styles, theory and development of attachment. I will discuss and explain experiences which I have come across within the childrens sector and how these are influenced by the developmental theory. I will then discuss in depth how the main developmental perspectives play a part in early years. P3. The role of family when considering child rearing is vital as this is where the bonding process begins; as this bond is formed the child develops an attachment to the person therefore creating a relationship. This bond in the beginning is primarily developed with the babys main care provider, not necessarily the mother, as children are brought up in diverse family structures. Family structures such as: nuclear family which involves both parents being together to bring up the child not relying on others for support, lone parent families which is either the mother or father bringing the child up with out the support of a partner, reconstituted families where two adults become partners whilst parenting children from a previous relationship and finally extended families where there is a close knit support from other family members such as grandparents who live together with the parent(s) and child. Many families dont fit ideally into just one of these support units and may be a single parent family with the close support of other family members even though they do not live together as one family unit, this then affects the people which the child develops primary attachments with as the parent may work and the grandparents become the main childcare providers for the child therefore forming multiple attachments. P3. The ways in which child rearing has developed over time has changed dramatically not only due to the ways in which a family is structured but how the care is managed. The first theory of child rearing was developed by Truby King he suggested babies should be toilet trained as young as possible, have a feeding routine and spend lots of time outdoors in order to reduce the chances of infant mortality and disease therefore cutting down the adult to child contact. We now realise that this would affect the childs opportunities to bond, develop relationships and attachment with its carers. During the 1950s and 1960s Benjamin Spock, whos theory is more child-lead than the previous, emphasised the importance of building a strong relationship between the child and its carers by encouraging parents to be more flexible with the child illustrating more affection listening to the childs individual needs but still appreciated the need for a routine. His suggestions, which were published as a guide to parents, counteracted the strict advice of paediatricians and doctors at this time. Medical professionals insisted that unremitting feeding routines should be undertaken whilst they also disapproved of parents openly showing affection towards their child. What good mothers and fathers instinctively feel like doing for their babies is usually best after all (Spock B, Saidwhat.co.uk) His theory was focused on the physical aspect of relationship development believing that the child should be wrapped up to give them the feeling of security as they had in the womb of their mother, he believed that routine changes and feeds every four hours would suffice the child and leave them feeling happy, he also believed that a babys every cry should not be answered if the routine was in place as they didnt physically need anything more. P3. Penelope Leach developed further this approach suggesting that child rearing should be child-centred rather than child lead, meaning that responding to the childs social, emotional and cognitive needs not only reaffirmed the child but also the parents by allowing more bonding time. She helped parents understand their childs needs and cries, suggesting on-demand feeding is a better approach than feeding at set times as it better suits the childs individual needs. Leach therefore allowed parents to be carers of their child permitting them to spoil their child with love and affection rather than being there to enforce control and discipline. P3. Kitzinger looked into this further in the mid 1970s and believes that a child should be cared for in a way that is natural and instinctive for both the child and the mother. Sheila Kitzinger says that parents need to see their children as social beings that need human interaction and companionship not just servicing by being fed, bathed and changed.