Care Vs. Convenience
We live in a busy world. I myself grew up in good ol' middle class America. Suburban neighborhood right on a lake and about a 5 minute boat ride from my high school. I spent a lot of time entertaining myself as a young child and during adolescence. My parents were always "very busy." They had jobs with opposite schedules, so only one parent was home most of the time. I believe I did receive an equal amount of care and convenience.
What I mean about care vs. convenience is simply this: Parents, family members, and caregivers are likely to use a convenient approach with children when they could have used the opportunity to care. True care can only be given when time and attention are given. As we all know, probably the main perk of convenience is that not much of our time or attention is required.
Those of you with children, give this a thought. How recently have you done or NOT done something with your children based on the fact that it was/wasn't convenient? Maybe you put a DVD on for your child when they attempted to engage you in play, but you were talking on the phone, sending an E-mail, or checking your social media. Maybe your ordered a pizza for dinner instead of preparing a home-cooked meal.
According to well known developmental psychologist Erik Erikson, learning and development begin in infancy and last for life. Imagine all of the opportunities to show loving care in a whole lifetime!
Examples of convenience with infants? EASY! The baby swing. The baby swing is a lifesaver for most parents. But what is a baby swing designed to do? It is designed to mimic the sway given by mommy and daddy as they hold the baby. Other baby seats and toys are also used for convenience, and luckily they also provide some type of other benefits--light, movement, and sound for stimulation. I'm definitely not knocking all of these convenience purchases, but hey, they are convenient!
What did people do before all of the stimulating lights and rocking simulators? Likely more attention was given to true care--rocking your baby to soothe him, playing peek-a-boo, tummy time, et cetera!
Back to Mr. Erikson for a moment, his theory of infancy was based on "trust vs. mistrust." An infant whose needs are always met will develop trust--and it makes sense! If the infant cannot rely on the parent for trust, he will develop mistrust--which also makes sense.
I don't have children of my own, but I do work with them. So trust me, I do understand the importance of convenience. The most irritation type of convenience to me is when it is substituted for health. Health degenerates quickly if not cared for properly. Developing healthy habits at an early age sets a healthy foundation for a child. That pizza your ordered or the Chinese take out you brought home is nowhere near as healthy or caring as a home cooked meal. Convenience meals can also lead to problems such as childhood obesity.
As time progresses, technology advances, and demands raise, maybe convenience does become more and more important. But there will never be a replacement for the true care of a child. Continue to purchase the things that help make your life more manageable so that you have the time to care for every investment you have, especially your family. Convenience doesn't have to be a bad thing; just find yourself a happy balance between convenience and care. Proper care for our children now will mean continued advancement for humanity.
What I mean about care vs. convenience is simply this: Parents, family members, and caregivers are likely to use a convenient approach with children when they could have used the opportunity to care. True care can only be given when time and attention are given. As we all know, probably the main perk of convenience is that not much of our time or attention is required.
Those of you with children, give this a thought. How recently have you done or NOT done something with your children based on the fact that it was/wasn't convenient? Maybe you put a DVD on for your child when they attempted to engage you in play, but you were talking on the phone, sending an E-mail, or checking your social media. Maybe your ordered a pizza for dinner instead of preparing a home-cooked meal.
According to well known developmental psychologist Erik Erikson, learning and development begin in infancy and last for life. Imagine all of the opportunities to show loving care in a whole lifetime!
Examples of convenience with infants? EASY! The baby swing. The baby swing is a lifesaver for most parents. But what is a baby swing designed to do? It is designed to mimic the sway given by mommy and daddy as they hold the baby. Other baby seats and toys are also used for convenience, and luckily they also provide some type of other benefits--light, movement, and sound for stimulation. I'm definitely not knocking all of these convenience purchases, but hey, they are convenient!
What did people do before all of the stimulating lights and rocking simulators? Likely more attention was given to true care--rocking your baby to soothe him, playing peek-a-boo, tummy time, et cetera!
Back to Mr. Erikson for a moment, his theory of infancy was based on "trust vs. mistrust." An infant whose needs are always met will develop trust--and it makes sense! If the infant cannot rely on the parent for trust, he will develop mistrust--which also makes sense.
I don't have children of my own, but I do work with them. So trust me, I do understand the importance of convenience. The most irritation type of convenience to me is when it is substituted for health. Health degenerates quickly if not cared for properly. Developing healthy habits at an early age sets a healthy foundation for a child. That pizza your ordered or the Chinese take out you brought home is nowhere near as healthy or caring as a home cooked meal. Convenience meals can also lead to problems such as childhood obesity.
As time progresses, technology advances, and demands raise, maybe convenience does become more and more important. But there will never be a replacement for the true care of a child. Continue to purchase the things that help make your life more manageable so that you have the time to care for every investment you have, especially your family. Convenience doesn't have to be a bad thing; just find yourself a happy balance between convenience and care. Proper care for our children now will mean continued advancement for humanity.
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