MISSION: A research-based primer of insights from Human Development for Parents.
There is no parenting manual; there are many successful approaches. Unfortunately, when problems start to arise, people of all sorts seem to think they have an answer for you. Many times they speak to you as if you should know certain aspects of psychology. They use confusing language and provide advice that does not seem to work. Sometimes it is not clear if those proclaiming to help actually under-
stand what you know to be right about your child. Your attempts to communicate this may be frustrating, lacking an effective language for explaining your points.
This primer, Awareness, seeks to help describe some of the foundations for interventions from the study of human development. Its intent is give you a basic sense of what is known for you to increase the chances of successful parenting and to support the work of other professionals helping you with:
- Bad Behavior
- Lack of Achievement/Motivation
- Communicating with Your Children
- Mental “Illness”
- Systemic Issues
Three themes run throughout this brief primer: the importance of interaction, making meaning and the role of scripts. All are connected and healthy development requires attention to each. What we know about human development continues to evolve, and new ideas and perspectives take time for even the most educated to fully understand. Too often, the systems of different professions (education, mental health, medicine, etc.) are slow to adapt to new knowledge. In many ways you (we all) unintentionally support the continuation of “old ways” of thinking about human development.
This primer seeks to hint at how you (we all) do this, while providing a relevant information on modern human development knowledge. Future editions of this digest will seek to further explore meaning, scripts, group processes, relationships/sexuality, social learning and systems theories/conflicts from a research-based perspective.
It is hoped that you form your own informed impressions of the material presented through your own investigations. These investigations may take the form of seeking out others to confirm/deny/discuss the ideas presented and/or Google-ing the concepts presented. Having your child witness this investigation might stimulate similar explorations from within your child, developing their own relevant interests –expanding their self-efficacy and all that comes from it.
Up next: Nature vs. Nurture
