Parenting: what matters most?

• Main Author: Baharudin, Rozumah
• Format: Inaugural Lecture
• Language: English
• Published: Universiti Putra Malaysia Press 2017
• Online Access: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/66838/1/20181019172428PROF._ROZUMAH_INAUGURAL.pdf; http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/66838/; http://www.pnc.upm.edu.my/upload/dokumen/20181019172428PROF._ROZUMAH_INAUGURAL.pdf

Parenting is a dominant factor for child development and the survival of the human race. As such, this lecture series endeavours to share scientific literature on parent-child dynamics, dimensions and challenges of parenting and the various facets of child functioning which are significantly influenced by mothers’ and fathers’ parenting strategies. Several theoretical perspectives underscore how parenting practices influence child adjustment from infancy to adolescence. In the Malaysian context, parenting styles and behaviors can be explained from the Islamic standpoint as well as from frameworks of Western origin. Among the parenting styles and behaviors which impact the physical, cognitive, social and emotional characteristics of the child are parental warmth, attachment, involvement, monitoring, discipline and different combinations of responsiveness and demandingness. Parenting goes hand-in-hand with a child’s needs. An understanding of the child’s age-specific needs is an initial step towards effective parenting. Indubitably, good parenting facilitates positive well-being in a child such as high self-esteem, socio-emotional strength and social responsibility. In contrast, poor parenting is associated with undesirable outcomes such as depression, delinquency and anxiety. Throughout this inaugural lecture, five elements of effective parenting will be highlighted, namely: a) parents must be mindful of a child’s distinctive needs from infancy to adolescence; b) regular quality time between the parent and the child; c) children need sufficient provision of parental physical and verbal warmth; d) parents should teach the child certain skills and attributes that they need to succeed; and e) parents’ strong sense of spiritual identity.