Argumentative Essay: The Science Behind Good Parenting
Raqueno 1
Pilar Raqueno
English 49
Argumentative Essay
Professor Galeano
October 27th, 2014
The Science Behind Good Parenting Sports season is at its peak. Major League Baseball’s World Series is ongoing; sharp pitchers on the mound and strong hitters are at bat showcasing their top qualities as they embark on their quest for the championship. Professional football is in the middle of its exciting season in which the team with the strongest and smartest players succeeds. Meanwhile, parents glued to the television are wondering how these fine professional athletes started developing in their early years and become successful in their chosen field, so they can adopt the parenting strategies to help their own children find the same success. …show more content…
So the question now arises: What is the best parenting philosophy that will help children reach their full potential, both socially and physically, and give them tools for success later in life? Parents are bombarded with information by the media that advocate for a certain parenting philosophy that attempt to answer this question. For example, Amy Chua, the so-called Tiger Mom, published an opinionated article in the Wall Street Journal advocating for strict parental supervision and monitoring of children to ensure lifelong success in any chosen field. However, studies conducted by doctors and psychologists specializing in asthma and childhood development suggest the opposite. This paper will argue that early exposure of infants to germs and less adult supervision throughout childhood developmental years lead to good and healthy kids.
I grew up in a poor and underdeveloped provincial seaport area in the Philippines. I lived in an improperly built home constructed from low-quality plywood and galvanized sheet iron along hundreds
Raqueno 2 of similarly makeshift homes. There was no proper sewage system. Garbage collection was almost non-existent. Feral cats, stray dogs, cockroaches, and rodents were rampant, and many gained unrestricted access to people’s homes. Our house was less than a kilometer away from the beach, which functioned as a drainage and sewer system some times. In short, sanitation was below standards. This area was the place where I gave birth to, and raised, my firstborn son. Conventional parenting belief will suggest that this place is not ideal to raise an infant due to diseases carried by germs and allergens. Cats, roaches, and rodents leave dusts that carry these types of germs. Undoubtedly, my son had been exposed to these germs and allergens especially in the months following his birth. However, as strange as it sounds, I have never observed my son get sick during those years when we lived in my hometown. As a matter of fact, due to his activity and energy level, I had to ground him several times so that I could see him in the house. To lay people, my son’s example of robust health might seem an exception not the rule. To me, it just seemed like I was blessed with a healthy child, uncharacteristically immune from diseases caused by common germs and allergens. But to scientists studying asthma, allergies and immunology, the environment where I raised my son played an important role in developing his immunity against many common diseases. Wood (Wood et al., 2014) studied 130 infants and found that those babies exposed to allergens, germs, and bacteria from cats, roaches, and rodents during the first 12 months of life were able to develop a strong immunity to allergies and common diseases, and they ended up suffering less from asthma and other types of wheezing as they grew older. The healthy babies, which developed immunity to common diseases and allergies, were either raised in a farm and lived in closed proximity with animals or in urban areas whose parents kept pets and did not care too much about sanitizing their dwelling. Wood found that when an infant is exposed early to these germs and allergens, his immunity against common diseases and asthma increases to 67% when exposed after the first birthday. On the other hand, the babies who were not exposed to germs and allergens were more likely to develop asthma and other respiratory allergies after exposure. It makes sense to me now why my son
Raqueno 3 did not get sick very often when we lived in our hometown. The ever-present dirt, grime, dust, and germs, factors that marginalized many of the poor children and their living conditions, actually helped my son’s immune system to strengthen and develop a sturdy resistance against illnesses. Looking back, I have noticed that in my son’s elementary class, the students who always suffered from respiratory related allergies and illnesses were the ones who came from a wealthy background who were not exposed to the external factors that were present throughout my son’s early developmental years, and whose parents followed the conventional parenting belief that children and their surrounding areas must be kept sanitized. It is safe to assume that the immune system of babies who were not exposed to common germs and allergens early on did not develop resistance, and so the body becomes ill when it gets exposed to these germs. Wood’s findings suggest that an area with common germs and allergens present provides the parents the first step in raising a successful child by ensuring its health and resistance to diseases. Surely, a healthy body is not enough to raise the ideal child. In addition to excellent health, a child must also be emotionally and socially stable to ensure success. But how do children, at an early age, develop the skills to become mentally and socially competent? Must children be coached, pushed, monitored, and supervised all the time to ensure success during challenging social situations, such as dealing with a bully at school or excelling in a highly competitive varsity tryout? Again, conventional parenting belief suggests that parents, whose life experiences exceed their children, must be ever present in the lives of their children to guide them through their developmental years. But studies in childhood developmental psychology suggest that having less parental supervision improve a child’s social and problem solving skills. Ladd and Golter (1988) found that children who were only indirectly monitored by their parents developed to be likeable among their peers and better problem-solvers than children who were coached, monitored, and supervised consistently by their parents. Upon first observation, this idea makes perfect sense because parental instinct wants to protect the children from
Raqueno 4 harm, including harms that might arise from the children making mistakes in their decision-making. Meanwhile, Denham (Denham et al., 2003) and Fabes (Fabes et al., 1999) found that children whose parents constantly coached and barked orders at them developed poor social skills and increased dependence to their parents, especially during times when decision-making is required. In short, children become wiser, more socially acceptable and more confident, if their parents grant them a large degree of independence and allow them to make decisions on their own throughout their developmental years. But certain claims by individuals make us doubt the overwhelming evidence before us. For example, Amy Chua, the so-called Tiger Mom, opined in her Wall Street Journal editorial (Why Chinese Mothers are Superior 2011) that continuous strict parental supervision ensures success of their children. She also claimed that Chinese parents are more successful in parenting than their Western counterparts, because Chinese parents strictly supervised all aspects of the life of their children and American parents do not. Thus, she observes, the rate of successful Chinese-Americans children becoming doctors, lawyers, and engineers are greater than their American peers. However, Chua’s logic is flawed. How many Chinese parents have she observed adopting the Tiger philosophy? She might have had observed a few anecdotal evidence of Chinese-American parents strictly supervising their children, but she cannot generalize the whole group as a result of this miniscule observation. Thus, she cannot correctly claim that all Chinese-American parents adopt the “Tiger” parenting philosophy. Also, the science against strict parental supervision and constant coaching is overwhelming, so Chua’s flawed opinion must not be taken seriously. What gave credibility to Chua’s claim is the amount of hype and attention it garnered from the media, and people who saw media spin on the matter started taking Chua’s message as the truth.
Raqueno 5
The evidence is clear.
Early exposure of infants to germs, and having less parental supervision, during the childhood developmental years lead to good and healthy kids. When a baby is exposed to germs before his first birthday, he develops immunity against asthma and common diseases. When parents allow their children great degree of independence and give them less supervision, their children develop social skills and competency that allow them to succeed. On the other hand, there is not enough credible data to believe that strict supervision of children result in their success. So to the parent watching the big game on TV. Does he want his child to have a chance to compete at a higher level in sports, law, medicine, business, or technology? If the answer is yes, then he must have a look at his parenting drawing board and see if his plays are backed by science.
Raqueno 6
Bibliography
Chua, Amy. Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior. Wall Street Journal. 2011. News Paper Article.
Denham, S.A. et al., Preschool Emotional Competence: Pathway to Social Competence? Child Development. 2003. Science Journal
Fabes, R.A. et al., Regulation, Emotionality, and Preschoolers’ Socially Competent Peer Interactions. Child Development. 1999. Science Journal
Ladd, G. W., & Golter, B.S. Parents’ Management of Preschoolers Peer Relations: Is It Related To Children’s Social Competence? Developmental Psychology. 1988. Science Journal.
Wood, Robert. Et Al. Birth Cohorts In Asthma And Allergic Diseases: Report of a NIAID/NHLBI/MeDall Joint Workshop. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2014. Science
Journal
Pilar Raqueno
English 49
Argumentative Essay
Professor Galeano
October 27th, 2014
The Science Behind Good Parenting Sports season is at its peak. Major League Baseball’s World Series is ongoing; sharp pitchers on the mound and strong hitters are at bat showcasing their top qualities as they embark on their quest for the championship. Professional football is in the middle of its exciting season in which the team with the strongest and smartest players succeeds. Meanwhile, parents glued to the television are wondering how these fine professional athletes started developing in their early years and become successful in their chosen field, so they can adopt the parenting strategies to help their own children find the same success. …show more content…
So the question now arises: What is the best parenting philosophy that will help children reach their full potential, both socially and physically, and give them tools for success later in life? Parents are bombarded with information by the media that advocate for a certain parenting philosophy that attempt to answer this question. For example, Amy Chua, the so-called Tiger Mom, published an opinionated article in the Wall Street Journal advocating for strict parental supervision and monitoring of children to ensure lifelong success in any chosen field. However, studies conducted by doctors and psychologists specializing in asthma and childhood development suggest the opposite. This paper will argue that early exposure of infants to germs and less adult supervision throughout childhood developmental years lead to good and healthy kids.
I grew up in a poor and underdeveloped provincial seaport area in the Philippines. I lived in an improperly built home constructed from low-quality plywood and galvanized sheet iron along hundreds
Raqueno 2 of similarly makeshift homes. There was no proper sewage system. Garbage collection was almost non-existent. Feral cats, stray dogs, cockroaches, and rodents were rampant, and many gained unrestricted access to people’s homes. Our house was less than a kilometer away from the beach, which functioned as a drainage and sewer system some times. In short, sanitation was below standards. This area was the place where I gave birth to, and raised, my firstborn son. Conventional parenting belief will suggest that this place is not ideal to raise an infant due to diseases carried by germs and allergens. Cats, roaches, and rodents leave dusts that carry these types of germs. Undoubtedly, my son had been exposed to these germs and allergens especially in the months following his birth. However, as strange as it sounds, I have never observed my son get sick during those years when we lived in my hometown. As a matter of fact, due to his activity and energy level, I had to ground him several times so that I could see him in the house. To lay people, my son’s example of robust health might seem an exception not the rule. To me, it just seemed like I was blessed with a healthy child, uncharacteristically immune from diseases caused by common germs and allergens. But to scientists studying asthma, allergies and immunology, the environment where I raised my son played an important role in developing his immunity against many common diseases. Wood (Wood et al., 2014) studied 130 infants and found that those babies exposed to allergens, germs, and bacteria from cats, roaches, and rodents during the first 12 months of life were able to develop a strong immunity to allergies and common diseases, and they ended up suffering less from asthma and other types of wheezing as they grew older. The healthy babies, which developed immunity to common diseases and allergies, were either raised in a farm and lived in closed proximity with animals or in urban areas whose parents kept pets and did not care too much about sanitizing their dwelling. Wood found that when an infant is exposed early to these germs and allergens, his immunity against common diseases and asthma increases to 67% when exposed after the first birthday. On the other hand, the babies who were not exposed to germs and allergens were more likely to develop asthma and other respiratory allergies after exposure. It makes sense to me now why my son
Raqueno 3 did not get sick very often when we lived in our hometown. The ever-present dirt, grime, dust, and germs, factors that marginalized many of the poor children and their living conditions, actually helped my son’s immune system to strengthen and develop a sturdy resistance against illnesses. Looking back, I have noticed that in my son’s elementary class, the students who always suffered from respiratory related allergies and illnesses were the ones who came from a wealthy background who were not exposed to the external factors that were present throughout my son’s early developmental years, and whose parents followed the conventional parenting belief that children and their surrounding areas must be kept sanitized. It is safe to assume that the immune system of babies who were not exposed to common germs and allergens early on did not develop resistance, and so the body becomes ill when it gets exposed to these germs. Wood’s findings suggest that an area with common germs and allergens present provides the parents the first step in raising a successful child by ensuring its health and resistance to diseases. Surely, a healthy body is not enough to raise the ideal child. In addition to excellent health, a child must also be emotionally and socially stable to ensure success. But how do children, at an early age, develop the skills to become mentally and socially competent? Must children be coached, pushed, monitored, and supervised all the time to ensure success during challenging social situations, such as dealing with a bully at school or excelling in a highly competitive varsity tryout? Again, conventional parenting belief suggests that parents, whose life experiences exceed their children, must be ever present in the lives of their children to guide them through their developmental years. But studies in childhood developmental psychology suggest that having less parental supervision improve a child’s social and problem solving skills. Ladd and Golter (1988) found that children who were only indirectly monitored by their parents developed to be likeable among their peers and better problem-solvers than children who were coached, monitored, and supervised consistently by their parents. Upon first observation, this idea makes perfect sense because parental instinct wants to protect the children from
Raqueno 4 harm, including harms that might arise from the children making mistakes in their decision-making. Meanwhile, Denham (Denham et al., 2003) and Fabes (Fabes et al., 1999) found that children whose parents constantly coached and barked orders at them developed poor social skills and increased dependence to their parents, especially during times when decision-making is required. In short, children become wiser, more socially acceptable and more confident, if their parents grant them a large degree of independence and allow them to make decisions on their own throughout their developmental years. But certain claims by individuals make us doubt the overwhelming evidence before us. For example, Amy Chua, the so-called Tiger Mom, opined in her Wall Street Journal editorial (Why Chinese Mothers are Superior 2011) that continuous strict parental supervision ensures success of their children. She also claimed that Chinese parents are more successful in parenting than their Western counterparts, because Chinese parents strictly supervised all aspects of the life of their children and American parents do not. Thus, she observes, the rate of successful Chinese-Americans children becoming doctors, lawyers, and engineers are greater than their American peers. However, Chua’s logic is flawed. How many Chinese parents have she observed adopting the Tiger philosophy? She might have had observed a few anecdotal evidence of Chinese-American parents strictly supervising their children, but she cannot generalize the whole group as a result of this miniscule observation. Thus, she cannot correctly claim that all Chinese-American parents adopt the “Tiger” parenting philosophy. Also, the science against strict parental supervision and constant coaching is overwhelming, so Chua’s flawed opinion must not be taken seriously. What gave credibility to Chua’s claim is the amount of hype and attention it garnered from the media, and people who saw media spin on the matter started taking Chua’s message as the truth.
Raqueno 5
The evidence is clear.
Early exposure of infants to germs, and having less parental supervision, during the childhood developmental years lead to good and healthy kids. When a baby is exposed to germs before his first birthday, he develops immunity against asthma and common diseases. When parents allow their children great degree of independence and give them less supervision, their children develop social skills and competency that allow them to succeed. On the other hand, there is not enough credible data to believe that strict supervision of children result in their success. So to the parent watching the big game on TV. Does he want his child to have a chance to compete at a higher level in sports, law, medicine, business, or technology? If the answer is yes, then he must have a look at his parenting drawing board and see if his plays are backed by science.
Raqueno 6
Bibliography
Chua, Amy. Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior. Wall Street Journal. 2011. News Paper Article.
Denham, S.A. et al., Preschool Emotional Competence: Pathway to Social Competence? Child Development. 2003. Science Journal
Fabes, R.A. et al., Regulation, Emotionality, and Preschoolers’ Socially Competent Peer Interactions. Child Development. 1999. Science Journal
Ladd, G. W., & Golter, B.S. Parents’ Management of Preschoolers Peer Relations: Is It Related To Children’s Social Competence? Developmental Psychology. 1988. Science Journal.
Wood, Robert. Et Al. Birth Cohorts In Asthma And Allergic Diseases: Report of a NIAID/NHLBI/MeDall Joint Workshop. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2014. Science
Journal