WHY ARE PARENTING PRACTICES IMPORTANT?
Parents are the most important people in young children’s lives
In the United States, more children are in the daily care of a parent than in day care centers or in the care of other adults and relatives. So, not only are parents and children spending lots of time together, but the unique bond between parents and their children make every interaction more meaningful and with the potential for more powerful impacts.
Parents play an integral role in fostering early skill development and learning
Parents and their children not only share the most incredible bond of love, but parents also have incredible potential to shape young children’s early environment and experiences. Sadly, the early achievement gap begins in the home, and therefore we must help parents to create conditions where young children can thrive.
We can learn to be better parents
Parents who know more about parenting and child development and who have a stronger belief they can make a difference in their child’s development, are more apt to interact with their children in ways promoting learning than parents with less parenting knowledge (Rowe, 2008). This suggests that by helping parents learn more about parenting, child development, and their own power to impact their children, parents can contribute to improved outcomes for their children.
The Challenge