We are learning more and more about how we raise our children when they are younger has a direct impact on how they are when they teenagers. Teenagers who receive “nurturing care” when they are younger, have shown to fare much better in life than those who did not. There has been a lot of discussion around the idea of “nature vs. nurture” and how much that can impact a person and their outcome. Is a person a product of their environment, or by how they were treated? This has been a talking point in child development for many years now, and we are finally seeing some answers.
According to Science Daily, a study was done by the University of Maryland School of Medicine and it looked at more than 1,600 children from Brazil and South Africa from birth until they were in their teenage years. They found that preschoolers who lived in low-income communities, but had access to a nurturing home environment, had higher IQ test scores than those who were not.
Nurturing care is something that parents should strive to give their children. The WHO defines nurturing care as a stable environment that is created by a child’s parents or caregivers. This care ensures that the child has good health and nutrition, but it also protects them from threats and gives children an opportunity for learning. The main focus is that the relationships the child has with their caregivers is emotionally supportive and responsive.
The study found that children who were raised in a nurturing home had an IQ score 6 points higher than those who did not. This seems to show that nurture may have a lot more to do with child development than nature does. It also shows that your environment does not automatically define who you will be as a person.
This study is incredibly relevant to the situation in the US as well, even though it was done in international countries. In the US, one in five children are raised in poverty and about 15% do not graduate high school. The highest rates are among the Black and Hispanic communities, and it could bode well that these children may benefit from a nurturing environment, either at home or in daycare.
This study has shown what parents can do to ensure that their children rise above their environment and go on to lead successful lives. One of the best ways to do this is to get your child out and involved in friendly activities instead of sitting them in front of a screen.
Sources: Science Daily, WHO