Question

Read about different temperaments, parenting styles, and attachment patterns in chapter 8 of your textbook. How could a child's temperament affect parenting style and attachment? How could parenting style affect the child's temperament and attachment? Give some personal examples.

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.

(Answer) Parenting: Parenting within the animal kingdom refers to the maternal and or paternal care offered by the adults towards their young offspring until they become able to survive individually. Human beings, however, have the additional responsibility of offering psychological and emotional nurturing along with caring for physiological needs.

Description of parenting roles: Parental roles would need to be adaptive based on the temperament of the child and the situations that the child and parent face. The goal of fulfilling parenting roles is to undertake actions that would result in the optimal and healthy physical, emotional and mental growth of the child.

Parental characteristics: Compassion, integrity, mental and emotional stability are required attributes in order to create a nurturing environment for the child/children.

Parents need to learn to adapt their parenting styles based on how sensitive their child is and what methods make them comprehend their instructions in the soundest manner. Anne Bradstreet once said that “Diverse children have their different natures; some are like flesh which nothing but salt will keep from putrefaction; some again like tender fruits that are best preserved with sugar: those parents are wise that can fit their nurture according to their Nature.”

Conversely, the nature of the child is like soft clay. Even though the material is determined, the shape is entirely amenable. This would mean that even though a child is born with their own predispositions and temperament, the nurturing is just as essential as the nature factor in determining their personality.