8.10: Stages of Parenting
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- 86583
Ellen Galinsky traced six distinct stages in the life of a parent in relation to their growing child. Much like how a child moves through stages. By looking at these different stages of parenting, those who work with children and youth can gain some insight into parental needs and concerns. [114]
Table \(\PageIndex{1}\): Stages of Parenting
|
Age of Child |
Main Tasks and Goals |
Stage 1: The Image-Making Stage |
Planning for a child; pregnancy |
Consider what it means to be a parent and plan for changes to accommodate a child. |
Stage 2: The Nurturing Stage |
Infancy |
Develop an attachment to child and adapt to the new baby. |
Stage 3: The Authority Stage |
Toddler and preschool |
Parents create rules and figure out how to effectively guide their child’s behavior. |
Stage 4: The Interpretive Stage |
Middle childhood |
Parents help their children interpret their experiences with the social world beyond the family. |
Stage 5: The Interdependence Stage |
Adolescence |
Parents renegotiate their relationship with adolescent children to allow for shared power in decision-making. |
Stage 6: The Departure Stage |
Early adulthood |
Parents evaluate their successes and failures as parents. |
Pause to Reflect How does understanding these stages assist in your work with parents? |