Raising a child is something everyone knows something about. Whether you have a child of your own or not, you remember how your parents raised you. If you are raising a child yourself, you may be following your parents' example. Or maybe you've rejected their way and adopted another. Regardless, raising a child is probably the most challenging, meaningful and rewarding effort you will ever undertake.
Significance
As a parent, you are your child's first teacher and role model. It's from you that he learns how to communicate and how to give and receive affection. He learns about rules and consequences. By watching you and other members of the family, he learns how to relate. Do you enjoy the company of other family members, or is there frequent arguing? These are all factors that will help determine the kind of adult he becomes.
Function
A parent's function is taking care of a child's needs, from basic nutrition and medical care to education and moral development. You must see to it not only that she is fed and clothed, but also that she becomes a person you can respect and admire as an adult. You want her to be a good person who is responsible and respectful of others, says the Boston University School of Education. This begins with you as a parent, your child's primary role model.
Benefits
When you lead by example, enforce positive discipline and provide structure and support for your child, the benefits are great. The end result of a job well done is a healthy, successful child, according to the Michigan Department of Education. Along the way, you can have the pleasures of sharing your heritage and family traditions, reliving your own childhood through the eyes of your son or daughter, playing, reading and learning.
Considerations
Seeing to it that your child is healthy must be a primary concern. KidsHealth advises that you emphasize good nutrition through teaching and role modeling. Make family meals a daily practice. Also make sure your child has medical, dental and eye checkups. Those checkups, from the very beginning, can help your pediatrician spot any developmental problems, such as speech or motor skill delays. You can see to it that your child gets help before the problem becomes major.
Potential
If you have raised your child to be a physically and emotionally healthy adult, it's likely that you will reap the benefits. You will have an adult child who can return the affection you have given him, one who can become your friend, as well as your son. And you will probably be seeing your own parenting style in the way he raises his children.
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