Galinsky's 6 stages of parenthood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Galinsky's 6 stages of parenthood - Essay Example The parents will create an image of what comes ahead in terms of the birth of the child and parenting behaviours. The parents will have this image in their entire life because parenting will be a lifelong process. Growth then occurs when the parents modify an image that is consistent with the reality that is happening. Nurturing is the stage that occurs when the child is born to the time it starts speaking simple words. Parents do comparison of themselves and that of their child to find available discrepancies. Discrepancies present between the imaged child and the actual child is done by parents getting to know the child by touching and caring for it. At this stage, there is bonding and the parents become attached to the child. Parents face questions relating to their priorities; how much time they will devote to the child and how much time they will have for doing their other duties. Authority stage begins when the child is two years to when it is five years, and parents are faced with the task of deciding the kind of authority to be put in place, the rules to be followed and consequences of breaking the rules. Parents, having assured themselves of their identity, develop an attachment to the child, are faced with the task of accepting the authority they have over the child. This is the stage where they come to understand the child is not their extension; therefore, they form images of getting angry, having unconditional love, and having disciplinary actions that are different from those of their parents. There are parent/child relation problems, and the big question at this stage is how to solve problems that occur. Interpretive stage has its onset when the child begins preschool years to onset of teenage. With the entering of the child into kindergarten, the parents ask themselves whether they have been realistic and they evaluate the past in order to prepare for changes coming. The task