24 Part 1 Decisions About Parenting
home filled with warmth, affection, respect,
and mutual trust, 1-10. A home such as this
helps children trust their parents’ judgments
and beliefs.
More direct training begins between the
ages of two and three. At this time, parents
need to provide structure. Structure sets
behavioral limits (home rules) that teach
children how to get along in the world.
It involves guiding children to develop
personal boundaries that do not infringe
on others’ needs and rights. Structure also
means providing children with experiences
that promote self-worth and a sense of
safety and security. When children reach
the school years, they can talk with their
parents about right and wrong decisions and
the consequences of certain actions. These
combined elements form the foundation for
moral development.
Heritage and Culture Awareness Needs
Each family belongs to one or more
ethnic groups. These are groups of people
with a common racial, national, tribal,
religious, or cultural origin or background.
Members of ethnic or cultural groups have
shared customs, beliefs, and behaviors, or
cultural traditions. Children learn from and
enjoy participating in traditions that involve
food preparation, clothing, or religious
practices of a family’s ethnic background.
Children also want to hear stories and see
items from their own family history.
All of these experiences help children
form an ethnic identity. This refers to the
way a person views himself or herself as
a member of a particular ethnic group.
Children develop pride in their family
background by knowing about their heritage,
or all that has been passed down through
the generations. As children learn of their
cultural heritage, they learn that others may
also have a different cultural heritage. Parents
can help their children learn about diversity,
which is a condition of differing from one
another. By helping children learn about and
respect other customs, beliefs, and behaviors,
they promote appreciation of cultures that are
different.
Maintaining Good Health
Parents have a responsibility to take
care of themselves physically, intellectually,
socially, and emotionally. Maintaining
good health helps parents take good care
of their children. Parents need a balanced
diet, regular exercise, plenty of sleep, and
interaction with others. Because the parenting
role is ever changing, all parents feel stress.
This is the tension caused by a condition or
situation that demands a mental or physical
1-10 Providing an atmosphere of warmth,
affection, and mutual trust helps build the
foundation for moral development.