Running Head: FAMILY DYNAMICS AND DEVELOPMENT 1

Family Dynamics and Child Development

Part A

A family is defined as, “a unit of interdependent individuals, this system is composed of

interdependent subsystems such as the parents’ marriage” (Peterson, Pucketter, Wittmer, 2017,

p.51). “Family dynamics relates to the way in which members of a family interact with each

other in relation to their individual goals and preferences” (Reference, n.d). Although the family

is a unit, people are individuals and therefore are affected differently by certain decisions. “The

birth of a new baby brings excitement as you welcome a new member to your family. A birth can

be so momentous that it affects the dynamics of the entire family, creating new shifts in the way

loved ones interact with each other” (Howtoadult, 2017).

During vaginal birth, pressure from the birth canal contributes to an elongated shape to

the baby’s head. When the baby is born, it is usually covered in vernix; this is a greasy, cheesy,

white substance. This substance is produced by the baby’s oil glands which is meant to protect

the baby’s skin from amniotic fluid in the womb, this is then absorbed into the baby’s skin after

birth. In addition, present on the baby’s body is a peach colored fuzz hair called the lanugo

which disappears after a few weeks. Following the arduous process of birth, the newborn begins

to adjust to breathing independently, adapt to the room temperatures, participate in its feeding

process and begins to utilize its senses to see, feel, smell, taste and hear. The long journey to self-

discovery and learning begins immediately after the birth process. It must be noted that most

infants are usually resilient and possess many capabilities that help them to adjust and embark on

their growth journey. Proper prenatal care, normal labor and delivery, warm and positive

interaction with parents and adequate care from medical professionals are vital ingredients for

the newborn’s optimal adjustment.

“Mothers are primarily the most essential care givers of babies, with the arrival of a new

born, there are several changes that occurs” (Peterson, Pucketter, Wittmer, 2017, p.97). In

preparing for the baby, mothers are expected to receive good quality prenatal care and educate

themselves about how to prepare for the birth and parenting of the child. It is no secret that the

journey of child birth can be quite excruciating and involves both physical and emotional energy

therefore it is every moms wish is to have a successful labor and birth. Having quality support

from family to help her adjust to her new role can be quite uplifting. While there are some

persons that are capable of adjusting to a new or an additional child, some find it quite difficult
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to do so and can become overwhelmed. The combination of this along with increased levels of

hormones and mood swings are all ingredients that can trigger a mom to transcend in to

postpartum depression. It is believed that at least ten to twenty percent of mothers experience

postpartum depression. These mothers tend to have frequent episodes of crying, feeling of guilt

or inadequacy and even displays a lack of interest in the baby or family. Postpartum depressions

can last from a few days and in some cases extends to weeks. Although rare, postpartum

psychosis can occur and the mother becomes a danger to herself and others. The treatment for

such a situation is hospitalization for medical attention. Hormonal changes, medications, fatigue

and loss of stamina, preexisting anxieties exasperated by infant care responsibilities, unresolved

emotional conflicts, lack of support from the father or other family members, and economic or

work-related issues are some additional contributors to postpartum depression (Peterson,

Pucketter, Wittmer, 2017 p.99) Careful thought must be given to help mothers from falling too

far into depression since this can have lasting negative effects on the young child. Evidence has

been provided that shows that perinatal maternal depression predicts less optimal mother-child

interactions and infant secure attachment (Teti & Towe-Goodman, 2008) as well as negative

effects on the development of the infant’s stress systems and ability to regulate emotions

(Waxler, Thelen, & Muzik, 2011.Mothers become overwhelmed when they think about the

realities and responsibilities that comes with a newborn. The need for them to feel instant

maternal connections or bond with their babies are placed high and when things fail to go

according to their plan they become confused and feel guilty. The bonding process is said to

begin during pregnancy, but is most profound during the first few moments when the newborn is

placed into the arms of the eager and emotionally ready parents and the early days and weeks of

the infant’s introduction into their lives. This process can take weeks for this maternal love to

take place and the recovery process is then channeled to concerns for the infant’s needs. There is

also concerns expressed by mothers regarding their babies behavior, particularly it’s eating and

crying habits. The reading of books and advise from family and friends can be helpful to combat

this problem but as the baby grows older, the mother’s maternal instinct maybe one of the best

guides to responding to her infant.

The involvement of fathers in the life of babies is essential and is quite beneficial in

helping to build the family. Men are motivated to become fathers for several reasons. According

to Edina and Nelson (2013), they have reported a sense of increased status, pleasure from
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interacting with children and a belief that a fathers’ attention benefits children, leaving behind a

legacy and making marital, family and in-law relationships stronger. There are several factors

that influences how actively the man participates as a father and how the process of fatherhood

affects him. Economics is one of the major factor, a man who is unable to earn enough money to

support his wife and family and earns less money than his wife or decides to be a stay at home

parent may be ridiculed and belittled by others. According to (Lamb et al., 1985, 1987) paternal

involvement is segmented into three categories, the first is engagement, this where the father

takes time in caregiving and plays with the child, the next step involves accessibility which

speaks about the availability of time given and finally is the process of taking responsibility

which involves making decisions for the child. It must be noted however that on many occasions

a paternal involvement is based on his previous relationship with his own father, whether he

models after his father or compensates for the fathers failings, beliefs, employment and

satisfactions with marital decision. The transition of fatherhood provides experiences for men, it

is reported that they tend to have a huge range of feelings, intense labile experiences of self-

esteem and self-concept, anxiety, apprehension, hostility, confusion, alienation, depression,

pleasure, depth of affection, fulfillment, wide exhilaration and engrossment. Although the arrival

of the baby brings about excitement to the couple, they are also faced with marital problems, the

roles of feeding and significant sleep deprivation makes getting along difficult and spills off to

dampening the intimacy of the relationship

The effects of the new additions to the family is felt across the board and also affects the

other siblings. With a new baby on the way, it is the responsibility of the parents to prepare their

children for the arrival of the new addition to the family since adjustments in this scenario are

imminent. Based on studies, it has been reported that first born children spent much of their time

trying to get the full attention of their mother regardless of age. The study reported that during

the first four months after the birth of the baby, the first born were engaged in baby talk, use of

baby table manners, demanding of bottles or pacifier and even regressed to toileting behaviors,

this is their way of seeking attention. These children are also involved in verbal and physical

confrontation with parents, infants and even lifeless objects. Their cry for security is displayed

through whining, acting clingy and acting withdrawn. “A toddler won’t have the maturity to

understand much why mom and dad seem tired and busier than usual, which may contribute to

clinginess” (Howtoadult, 2017). As times goes by, the child begins to adjust and his behavior
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begins to change. They begin to become involved and express the need to help to care for the

new baby. It must be noted that siblings of the same gender shows a higher incidence of all

behaviors previously mentioned. To help these children from feeling left out, parents can play

and talk to their kids. Engaging in meaningful dialogues with the kids so as to help them feel

involved in the decision making of the infant can facilitate in positive interactions.

The extended family is likely to celebrate and welcome the birth of a new born. However,

grandparents sees the birth as a sign that they are getting older which can be difficult for some.

“With the arrival of the baby, parents tend to focus inward to care for the baby and other children

during the initial adjustment period. This change in focus may cause extended family to feel left

out and ignored (Howtoadult, 2017)”.Many prospective parents take the liberty of engaging in

childbirth classes and are therefore informed about what to expect, this may contradict the ideas

about parenting held by grandparents, which makes them feel unsure about what they should do.

In some cases the feeling of failure or their inadequacy as parents resurfaces and can create

tension. Their insecurity may be viewed as a lack of interest in the grandchild or new parents.

Grandparents find it difficult to let go of their position of being in control of everything and

sometimes finds it hard to see their children take charge of their family. On the other hand

siblings of the new parents may feel a sense of jealousy given that all the attention is generated

towards the new parents. In cases where there is competitiveness between siblings, old feelings

of rivalry can resurface and can be spilled off to the children putting them against each other.

Despite all this, many extended family members can provide information, support and

encouragement to the new parents and find some common ground to engage in fruitful family

relationships.

Part B
“Perceptual, motor, and physical development are foundations for children’s learning in

all domains. Development in these areas allow children to fully explore their environment and

interact with people and objects. The domain includes four elements, they are perception; gross

motor; fine motor; and health, safety, and nutrition”(cde, n.d).The toddler’s continuous changes

in bodily proportions, physical skills, perceptual understanding and cognitive constructs make

the affordances in the environment a constantly changing target” (Peterson, Pucketter, Wittmer,

2017 p.205) The primary role of perception is to find affordances in the environment.

“Affordances are complex relations between characteristics of the body and features of the
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environment” (Peterson, Pucketter, Wittmer, 2017 p.204). “Perception refers to how children use

their senses to gather and understand information and respond to the world around them. Infants

and toddlers use perception during interactions, for exploration, and to make sense of their

experiences. Preschoolers rely on perceptual information to develop greater awareness of their

bodies in space and to move effectively to perform tasks, such as kicking a ball to a friend” (cde,

n.d). Infants’ perceptual skills are at work during every waking moment. For example, those

skills can be observed when an infant gazes into a caregiver’s eyes or distinguishes between

familiar and unfamiliar people. Infants use perception to distinguish features of the environment,

such as height, depth, and color. “Perception is also strongly related to the social-emotional

domain, such as when young children perceive the differences between various facial

expressions and come to understand what they may mean” (cde, n.d). The human infant is

recognized today as ‘perceptually competent’; determining just how the senses function in

infancy helps to specify the perceptual world of babies” (Bornstein 2005, 284). The ability to

perceive commonalities and differences between objects is related to the cognitive domain

foundation of classification. Infants explore objects differently depending upon object features

such as weight, texture, sound, or rigidity (Palmer 1989). Research by Adolph, Eppler, and

Gibson (1993) suggests that learning plays a part in young children’s decision making in

physically risky situations, such as navigating slopes, and that exploratory behavior may be a

means to this learning.

The concept of motor development is separated into two segments, they are gross motor

and fine motor. Gross motor skills refer to moving the whole body and using larger muscles,

such as those in the arms and legs. “In infancy, gross motor skills include gaining control of the

head, neck, and torso to achieve a sitting or standing position” (cde, n.d). They also include

locomotor skills that emerge in the toddler years, which is perhaps the most dramatic transition

stage of all child development. During this period the child is able to move from standing with

support to independently walking, running, jumping, throwing, and stretching. This proves that

they now have greater control over their bodies. “This contributes to their increasing confidence

and ability to engage in social play which helps in the development of their social skills and their

ability to understand social rules” (cde, n.d) They also tend to become actively involved in the

process of imitating during the toddler years which helps with their cognitive development e.g.

pushing a stroller. It must be noted that multiple biological and environmental influences affect
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both the sequence and timing of motor abilities. “These influences have origins in prenatal and

infant developmental histories, cultural expectations, nutritional status, general health and well-

being, and opportunities and encouragement to use emerging capabilities” (Peterson, Pucketter,

Wittmer, 2017 p.207). Fine motor skills refer to use of the small muscles found in individual

body parts, especially those in the hands and feet. “Children use their fine motor skills to grasp,

hold, and manipulate small objects, such as cups, or to use tools, including scissors and paint

brushes” (cde, n.d). “By age 1, the ability to use the thumb and fingers in opposition to each

other has become reasonably efficient. During the first year of development, the grasping

muscles (flexors) are stronger than the releasing muscles (extensors).The abilities to reach, grasp,

manipulate, and let go of objects become more precise during the second year” (Peterson,

Pucketter, Wittmer, 2017 p.208). “As they gain hand-eye coordination, pre-schoolers learn to

direct the movements of their fingers, hands and wrists to perform more complex tasks, including

drawing fine details or stringing small beads” (cde, n.d).

Children’s physical well-being depends on several factors, including their knowledge and

use of safe, healthy behaviors, physical appearance and development and routines. Children’s

ability to keep themselves safe and healthy, such as communicating to adults when they are

hungry or sick, is extremely important and contributes to learning and development in all areas.

According to Peterson, Pucketter, Wittmer, 2017, the growth rate of infancy slows down some

what during the second year, evidence provided shows that an infant’s birth weight triples within

the first year while only about five to six pounds is gained during the second year. It further

shows that the infant’s length which would have increased by ten to twelve inches during the

first year is followed by about five inches in the second year. As the child continues to grow, his

body proportions begin to change from its rounded characteristics at age one to a more muscular

physique by age three. It must be noted that the head tends to be larger than the rest of the body

during this period. The process of walking is accompanied by a protruding abdomen, arms held

upward and feet spread apart to maintain balance along with a leading forehead. The term toddler

is used during this period of the child’s life since the child possesses an awkward and unsure

locomotion, body proportions and characteristic posture. Brain growth and neurological

development during the first three years are quite rapid, as neurological connections grow in an

extensive and complex manner. The physical development also takes place in the form of bone

structure. During the earlier stages the bones are soft, pliable cartilage which gradually hardens
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as the child begins to grow through the process referred to as ossification. The presence of

adipose in the system is more prevalent in a child of age one compared to a child of age three

since the activity levels of the child increases with age. Finally, facial proportions changes over

time, the younger child carries a rather high rounder and prominent forehead resulting from early

and rapid brain and cranial growth. Because of this early growth pattern, facial features make up

a smaller portion of the face than they will as the child gets older. The face is round with a small

jaw and a small, flat nose. The eyes are set close together, and the lips are thin. Over the course

of the next few years, facial proportions will change, and the child will lose the “baby face”

appearance.

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Reference

Perceptual, Motor, and Physical Development. Retrieved from

Perceptual and Motor Development Domain. Retrieved from

What Is the Meaning of Family Dynamics? Retrieved from

How a Newborn Affects Family Dynamics. Retrieved from

Peterson,S., Pucketter, M.B; & Wittmer,D.S (2017). The Young Child: Development from
Prebirth Through Age Eight (7th ed). Boston,MA:Pearson.