By Rojina Kandel
“Mother is the Ideal Teacher,” says the renowned inventor and scientist of electric light, Thomas Alva Edison. A mother does not only carry the child for nine months, but her relationship starts to develop with the baby right in the womb. A mother holds a pivotal role in a child’s overall social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development.
In a 2021 study, scientists found that school-aged children who were positively supported by their mothers had a larger hippocampus in the brain than those who were not. A child’s and mother’s positive relationship can nurture a child throughout their lifetime. In a study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, scientists found that interactions with a mom within a child’s first 16 years were associated with staying in school longer, having better episodic memory, and having better marital satisfaction in adulthood. A 2020 study in the Journal NeuroImage found that when a mother’s emotional state is positive, their brain becomes more connected to their baby’s brain. A method called dual electroencephalography has determined this by scanning the brains of moms and their infants. Hence, a mother needs to have a positive outlook on life, as she helps to develop a child’s social and emotional skills by assisting them to get through everyday challenges. It’s a universal fact that a child spends most of the time at home with their mother, so the mother plays an essential role in foundational learning and social adjustment outside the home. A mother’s secure attachment can help the child feel safe, loved, and supported and can promote healthy emotional development.
As a mom is also known as a best friend for a child, it’s been found in research that talking to your mother helps view your story in a new light, thus helping improve well-being. A mother is a role model for a child. So, a mother should model positive behaviours such as empathy, kindness, and respect to help her child develop these same traits. A child can develop a positive self-image and a sense of self-worth by getting emotional support and validation from their mother. It also helps the child feel heard, understood, and accepted, leading to positive growth in mental health. The relationship between mother and child plays a vital role in cognitive development. Children who have a secure attachment to their mothers tend to perform better academically and have better problem-solving skills. The process of socialization for a child begins at home. Mothers have a key role in developing children’s social skills, such as sharing, empathy, and cooperation.
According to the studies, a sound mother-child relationship can have a positive impact on a child’s physical health. Having a close relationship with a mother can make a child healthier and lower their risk of developing issues related to mental health. In conclusion, it can be said that a mother can enhance a child’s development by providing a healthy diet every day and being a good role model by showing love to the child through actions like hugs, spending time with them, and listening to them.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect People’s Review’s editorial stance.
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