Explore an experience and reaction to the parenting disciplines and styles of your own parents. This awareness will help you in your interactions with children.
Reflect on the family dynamics that were prevalent in your own home (such as your temperament, gender, placement in the sibling group, parent's life stage, marital quality of parents, traditions, and expectations). Based on this reflection, respond to the following:
Looking back at your own experiences and influences, which dynamic would you say had the biggest impact on your own development during childhood and adolescence and the role that you played in your own family? Give reasons for your answer.
Think about your role in the context of your family. How is it explained by the various family dynamics such as your temperament, gender, placement in the sibling group, parent's life stage, marital quality of parents, traditions, expectations, and so on?
Using online library resources, and the Internet, research your findings further. Incorporate information from at least two of these academic sources to support your statements and ideas in your response to the following:
- How does your biggest impact align with the research?
- Who are the major proponents (theorists past or current) of your chosen dynamic and how did they reach these conclusions?
Ask two adults what or who had the most impact on them. Compare this data with your experience and your research about prominent dynamics.