The family unit is the smallest yet most impactful part of a child’s life.
According to Merriam-Webster dictionary , family is the basic unit of society and it traditionally consists of two parents rearing children. The family unit is a social group of man, woman and children usually bonded by marriage, blood, adoption all sharing the same societal standards and cultures.
Most learning is done by observation, hence the easiest way children learn is by imitation of the habits and attitudes they observe from those around them.
Their physical, mental, emotional, intellectual growth is first triggered by the settings they grow up in under the direct tutelage of their parents. This means that family is the first Learning place a child has and from here he learns how his society operates and what is feasible in the community.
The saying ” the apple never falls far from the tree” is a perfect example of the way family unit defines a child from babyhood to adulthood as the child first assimilates what is in front of him, as that is what his surroundings Conditions him to learn.
Child-rearing is not as easy feat, that is why beyond the nuclear family there are societal systems put in place that nudge the child in the acceptable way to grow.
The immediate family is made up of a father, mother and the child. Though there are usually others involved in training the child, such as the extended family,those in the religious settings of the child. Another factor responsible for child development is the school environment, all these come together to shape a child in the way he will develop and become a responsible citizen.
How does the family influence a child development: A large percentage of kids who grew up in loving, kind homes turn out to be great people, while those in dysfunctional families struggle with self-love/ discovery and find expression of self difficult resulting in the development of anger/destructive characters.
Family unit teaches the children responsibility, self-love and characteristics of a good citizen it educates them on the intricacies of society and on how to pave ways for themselves in the world.
A Happy home makes for a healthy and happy child . That is why the concept of adoption was put in effect to help abandoned kids find homes to love them. Most children that did not grow up in traditional homes have the tendency to not hold certain defining characteristics and they grow up feeling inadequate and unloved.
There has been plans set up for creating systems for misplaced children and orphans, the system involves placing kids in homes with one or two other kids with parents who volunteered to take care of them while receiving support from the government. This setting is better than orphanages where the kids are put together and not properly taken care of due to insufficient hands on deck for the management of the orphanage.
Family plays quite a role in the early years of a child and as such every child deserves to experience the stability that comes with being in traditional family settings.