In the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, their brain develops at a lightning speed of more than one million new neural connections every second. This period is the perfect opportunity to shape a child’s ability to learn and grow so that he or she can contribute positively to the society. However, these connections only come together when a child receives proper health, adequate nutrition, protection and responsive care by parents. 

Parents are responsible to create the right environment for their children to grow, learn and adapt to their surroundings. Let’s have a close look at the role of parents in a child’s life. 

Role of a Parent in a Child's Development Process

Being a parent is a never-ending job, especially during a child's growth years. Kids have unmatched energy, and parents are the ones who guide them in the right direction while offering them their much-needed support, encouragement, inspiration, motivation, love, and much more.

Though becoming a parent is the most beautiful experience, parenting is nowhere easy. For kids, differentiating between right and wrong, basic manners, respecting and treating people, handling situations could be a task, but that's where parents step up to help their young ones.

For kids, parents are their gateway to the world as they provide the necessary support and encouragement for their cognitive, physical, socio-cultural, emotional and mental development. 

Let's throw some light on various aspects of a child's life.

Promoting Children’s Cognitive Development

Parents offer their children an environment to learn and grow. Cognitive development determines the child's ability to think and analyze.

Parenting is all about identifying problem areas, searching for practical solutions, and guiding the kids towards the right path. Parents can foster their toddler's cognitive development by playing board games, assisting them with reading and engaging them with quality discussions.

Aiding in Children's Physical Development

Physical development is essential for a child's growth. A child's physical activity boosts their self-esteem and encourages them to engage more with their surroundings.

The support from parents can help children achieve ideal physical development. But, firstly, parents need to take care of their children's diet, height, and weight according to their age.

A child's physical growth is very much dependent on vaccines. Hence, vaccinations are equally important, and parents need to keep track of it.

Assisting children in their social and cultural development

The interaction between the parents and children impacts the child's social and cultural development. Strong and positive interactions with parents prepare children to be confident and capable while it teaches them kindness, compassion, and empathy towards others.

Children are like flower buds. Hence, a situation dealt with anger and irritation will eventually lead to anger issues and suppressed feelings in children, harming them throughout their lives.

Supporting children in their mental and emotional development

A child’s mental and emotional development should be a parent’s top priority. Parents' encouragement and guidance help children to think out of the box, accept and overcome failures while helping them with the right way to respond and work on the negative feedback. 

Now that we know how crucial parents are, here are some vital tips that parents should keep in mind to deal with their children during the critical years of development.

Be informed: As a parent, you need to be in complete sync with your child and understand your child's development needs. It's important to know the average height and weight according to your child's age, healthy diet, mandatory exercises, and learning and development skills at every stage. Parents have to take charge of their children, which eventually aids in their growth and learning ability.   

Reach out to an expert: Working parents have to divide their attention on their professional and personal life equally. They have to stay updated with their child's development and new learnings. A parent should never shy away from talking to a health expert. A doctor can guide, educate, and better assess a child.

Understand them better: As parents, it is your primary responsibility to know about the developments of your child. Any physical disorder can impact a child, but a lack of compassion towards them deteriorates their state of mind further.

Sometimes, being a parent can be overwhelming, but you are not alone. With Maatri, you can have all the answers to your queries at the tap of your fingers without having to go through a series of random YouTube videos and parenting books.

MAATRI - YOUR PARTNER IN HEALTHY PARENTING

Maatri is your best friend amid all your parenting concerns. A boon for parents who put in an extra effort every single day for their kids. 

Maatri provides parents with cohesive knowledge about their child's growth and development, preparing them to take on any parenting challenge upfront with the help of qualified and experienced doctors with over 32 years of experience.

Maatri offers a complete growth and development checklist, learning difficulty tests, sessions with a behavioural paediatrician and much more helpful content for parents to be aware of their child's needs. 

Imagine having all your concerns looked after at your convenience, without going back and forth with your doctors? With solid roots in preventive healthcare, Maatri is changing lives of over 56000 families across the country.