6 days ago
Want to keep children away from diseases? Try THIS type of parenting
Keeping their children healthy and protected from diseases is a top priority for every parent. But what steps need to be taken to ensure it? A new study has found that parenting style influences a child's health, not just in childhood but well into adulthood.
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Yes, the circumstances and approach during childhood can shape a person's health for years to come. Experts suggest that adopting a certain parenting method can help children build a stronger immune system, develop healthy habits, and lead a more resilient, disease-free life.
Parenting and the health of children
A new study from the University of Georgia suggests that protective parenting may help kids avoid health problems as adults. The findings are published in the journal
.
The researchers said that children who grew up in stressful environments may have problems in adulthood; however, parents can counter those effects by being protective.
The researchers found out that children who are raised in places where gunshots are common and heat and electricity are unreliable can lead to pain and other physical health limitations in adulthood. However, trying to know what's happening in the child's life, such as knowing their friends or where they're hanging out after school, can help counteract those effects.
'Early life experiences really affect physical and mental well-being throughout our lifespan. Even if we don't have a lot of tangible memories from very early on in life, we know how we felt, we know how loved we were and how supported we were, and these things get embedded in us,' Kelsey Corallo, lead author of the study, said in a statement.
The experts further observed that setting limits and letting the kids know that you are keeping an eye on them reduces the risks of physical and mental health issues in adulthood.
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'This isn't just the direct 'know where your kids are' type of
, and it's not helicopter parenting that makes a difference. Communicating love and the desire to be part of your child's life, I think, is probably part of the magic ingredient of vigilant parenting that benefits the child,' Katherine Ehrlich, the co-author of the study, added.
Stress in childhood
and health
The study analyzed data from more than 4,825 participants in the US Bureau of Labor Statistics' National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 97, tracking individuals from their teen years into their mid-30s.
The researchers found a link between growing up in a less safe environment and physical health limitations in adulthood.
'There is a lot of research to show that stressful experiences—for example, feeling unsafe, not getting the basic resources that you need in life, or being exposed to neglect or abuse—those things literally change how your body functions,' Corallo, a research associate at Georgia State University, said.
The findings pointed out that stress from childhood experiences makes it difficult for the body to regulate itself. If that sustained level of stress is experienced during childhood or infancy, it can cause lifelong issues with immune function or hormone regulation.
'Young people and children tend to be healthy, so the fact that we're seeing a statistical association between physical limitations and childhood environmental risk is pretty incredible.
It shows that these things really do matter, and they have an overt effect on health even in early adulthood when chronic illnesses often haven't even set in yet,' Corallo said.
How to keep children healthy and sound
Gentle parents don't fear tantrums or meltdowns. They understand that emotions need space, not suppression. A child who cries loudly in a supermarket is not shamed but gently guided through the isn't easy. Especially when others are watching. But true gentle parenting shows up in those moments when frustration is high, and yet, a calm presence is still offered. It's about holding space for a child's feelings without fixing or shutting them down too quickly.
It is important that parents show they care about what their kids are up to. This can positively impact their health. The researchers observed that even though some participants grew up in less safe environments, had present parents, and didn't experience the same health ailments as their peers without vigilant parents.
Vigilant parenting was also associated with fewer mental health problems in adulthood.
They noted that this could be because the children whose parents put curfews in place and monitored their friend groups were better shielded from harmful behaviours that could have lifelong effects, like smoking or binge drinking.
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'In more dangerous settings, it may be more difficult for parents to be that involved, for example, if they're working multiple jobs.
But even if they're not physically home, keeping track of and making sure their children know that their parents are aware of and care about what they're up to makes a big difference,' Corallo said.
Similarly, it is important that children know their parents are monitoring them and setting limits because they care about them, not because they want to control every aspect of their lives. 'It's all about how kids are experiencing that vigilant parenting and how they're interpreting it. They don't feel like it's helicopter parenting. They just feel like their mom or dad really cares about them,' Ehrlich added.
