We all want to do the best we can for our children. And as parents, we naturally look out for their good and we care about educating them, loving them and protecting them from anything that could be harmful to them.
But according to one study, giving them space and simply watching our children explore the world is more beneficial to our mental health than always being on top of them. We tell you why.
The study
Published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies , the study analyzed whether the Respectful Approach intervention, which is based on building the parent-child relationship through observation and respect, improves stress and trust in children. parents of babies and young children .
This Respectful Approach, which is based on the philosophy of the organization “Resources for Early Childhood Educators” (RIE) founded by early childhood educator and therapist Magda Gerber, guides parents to treat young children as capable and independent humans. , which can flourish if given a safe and free space to explore.
In the study, parents participated in a class for infants and toddlers for six weeks, where their children played without any interruption , in a room where age-appropriate toys had been placed.
With the help of a facilitator, the parents dedicated themselves solely to observing their children while in the same room , which allowed the children to freely investigate their surroundings and at the same time interact with other children of the same age range.
When the research process ended and parents were asked how they felt, they reported having significantly lower stress levels than before , as well as feeling more confident and understanding of their children’s abilities.
The most important lesson that parents learned from this study is that children thrive when they are given a safe space and free time to explore and advance at their own pace, without focusing too much on reaching goals or milestones, putting less pressure on them and focusing more on building a relationship with them.
After obtaining these results, the researchers will expand this study to track parents and children for three years , in order to determine if the decrease in parental stress levels has a lasting impact with this type of approach, and to investigate the results long-term in child development.
Photo | iStock
Via | EurekAlert
In Babies and more | Why it is important to let our children fail, The day I decided to stop stressing about nonsense and started letting my daughter get dirty playing
