Analyse How Children and Young People’s Development Is Influenced by a Range of Personal Factors
Children and young people often experience many things which have a direct impact on their development; things such as their family environment and structure, personality, hospital visits, childcare arrangements, and culture.
Family Environment
Of the environmental influences, the family has the most profound impact on child development.
Family stability can be described in many ways. Traditionally it is defined in terms family structure (for example, single parenthood, extended families, working families, foster care etc) Exploring the various family processes that pertain to stability may be a useful means of understanding the specific characteristics of family stability that support healthy child development. For example, parental mental health, stable relationships among caregivers, and positive parenting are cited as markers of family stability. Characteristics of the home environment, such as warmth, emotional availability, stimulation, family cohesion, and day-to-day activities, have also been implicated in the notion of family stability. Children who experience family stability have caregivers who remain constant, consistent, and connected to them over time; caregivers who are mentally healthy and engage in appropriate parenting practices; a cohesive, supportive, and flexible family system; and a nurturing and stimulating home environment.
Children are more likely to have trusting relationships with caregivers who are consistent and nurturing, which leads to a number of positive developmental outcomes. Positive and consistent care giving has the potential to compensate for factors that have a detrimental impact on children, such as poverty and its associated risk factors. In other words, children have much better outcomes if their family lives are stable, despite the overwhelming influence of poverty and associated risk factors.
On the contrary, child mistreatment reflects an extreme form of family instability. Children who are mistreated often
Family Environment
Of the environmental influences, the family has the most profound impact on child development.
Family stability can be described in many ways. Traditionally it is defined in terms family structure (for example, single parenthood, extended families, working families, foster care etc) Exploring the various family processes that pertain to stability may be a useful means of understanding the specific characteristics of family stability that support healthy child development. For example, parental mental health, stable relationships among caregivers, and positive parenting are cited as markers of family stability. Characteristics of the home environment, such as warmth, emotional availability, stimulation, family cohesion, and day-to-day activities, have also been implicated in the notion of family stability. Children who experience family stability have caregivers who remain constant, consistent, and connected to them over time; caregivers who are mentally healthy and engage in appropriate parenting practices; a cohesive, supportive, and flexible family system; and a nurturing and stimulating home environment.
Children are more likely to have trusting relationships with caregivers who are consistent and nurturing, which leads to a number of positive developmental outcomes. Positive and consistent care giving has the potential to compensate for factors that have a detrimental impact on children, such as poverty and its associated risk factors. In other words, children have much better outcomes if their family lives are stable, despite the overwhelming influence of poverty and associated risk factors.
On the contrary, child mistreatment reflects an extreme form of family instability. Children who are mistreated often