A mother's love
Love is important to help a child grow and several recent studies show just how important a mother's love really is. The bond that unites mother and child is an important one.
A pampered baby is a healthy baby...
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All parents ask themselves how to make their child grow into a well-rounded, happy and healthy adult. While a mother or father's influence remains limited in many areas, psychological studies from America1 should provide reassurance: the more love and care you give your children, the happier and... healthier they will be in adulthood. This surprising link is easy to explain: the more a child is well surrounded, the more sociable that child is growing up... and the less they will hesitate to seek help from those around them in case of problems.
The scientists take this even further. In their opinion, parental love is a source of better selfesteem and better emotional stability... qualities that reduce the risks of psychological disorders, and improve health and longevity in general.
Working mothers: stop feeling guilty
Working mothers often find it difficult to give their children a lot of time and many a mother feels guilty about this... Be reassured, your work does not put your baby's emotional balance in peril. According to American psychologists2 , having a working mother does not negatively impact a child's development. To best balance working life and "being mum", you should nevertheless ensure you don't let yourself get overwhelmed! This means defining priorities and... respecting them! Try and find moments just for you and your children to play, go on trips, read stories... and tell yourself that the housework or paperwork will just have to wait.
Look to spend "quality" time together if "quantity" is limited.
Mothers' time for confiding
When a child grows up and becomes independent, relationships change. But a recent study3 shows that what a mother has to say, her role as a confidante, remains essential to teenagers. This research has show that this role helps adolescents to shun risky behaviour, find their points of reference and build their personalities. Of course it isn't always easy to maintain a dialogue at an age when arguments seem to be the only way to communicate, but it does appear that persevering is worthwhile... so hang in there!
1 - Psychology and Aging 2004; vol. 1: p. 4-12
2 - Developmental Psychology, Mar 1999; vol. 35: p. 445-459
3 - Psychology of Addictive Behavior, Dec 2000; vol. 14: p. 342-355
Copyright © 2009 Doctissimo
Posted 30.06.2010
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