Title: What Is the Family Impact on Early Childhood Development? | How To Adult
Headings: What Is the Family Impact on Early Childhood Development?
What Is the Family Impact on Early Childhood Development?
Written by Debra Pachucki
Emotional Development
Social Development
Physical Development
Cognitive Development

Content: Emotional Development
A family encourages emotional development from the first moments of a baby’s life onward. The bond that forms between an infant and his primary caregivers fosters a range of emotions such as trust, comfort, compassion, empathy and confidence. As children grow and their relationships with family members develop, they learn how to form friendships, manage and communicate emotions in a healthy way and how to overcome obstacles and challenges with others. Making the time to do things together as a family promotes family cohesion, which enhances emotional development in children, and reduces children’s risk of experiencing emotional distress. Social Development
Children begin to develop social skills in infancy from their earliest bonds, relationships and interactions with family members. They perceive and discover communication, collaboration and cooperation by both observing parents and siblings as they interact with each other, and by engaging directly with different members of the family. Families that treat each other with respect and love promote a positive example of social interaction for very young children. Families that spend quality time together -- enjoying activities together and sharing meals at the dinner table, for example -- also promote healthy socialization development in young children by fostering group bonding, communication and sharing. Physical Development
Family members' diet and exercise habits have a profound impact on children’s fitness and nutrition, which is directly related to their overall physical development. Because family members are role models, children learn from, imitate and adopt the behaviors and patterns of parents and siblings.